


The Adventures of Green-Tail

by Goddess of Cute (Mythoriel)



Category: 10th Kingdom
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Next-Gen, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:12:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7801429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythoriel/pseuds/Goddess%20of%20Cute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For everyone who cringed when Tony agreed to bring an Industrial Revolution to the 4th Kingdom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Green-Tail in the Third Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the 10th Kingdom world or any of its characters, etc and so forth.

The wolf maiden strode confidently up the main passage to the Troll Palace. She was stopped several times and menaced, but she bowed politely and told them she had gifts for the Troll Royals. The guards followed her suspiciously and became a threatening and jeering escort.

The Troll Royals were watching a prisoner entertain them by trying to leap over spears jabbed at him from a semi circle of guards. The prisoner was successful in entertaining as much as he was unsuccessful at dodging. When the prisoner fell and didn’t get up, the Troll Royals saw the wolf maiden in their throne room. The eldest King, Burly, sat in the middle on a slightly higher throne, earned by his birthright. His sister Blabberwort sat on his left and his brother Bluebell sat on his right.

“Your highnesses,” the wolf maiden bowed. “I bring you gifts.” She set three identical wrapped boxes in front of them. They greedily tore them open and admired the shoes inside. The wolf maiden waited for them to put them on, and smiled with satisfaction as she saw that her informants were correct in the Royal shoe sizes.

“You highnesses, I have come to talk about the factory King Wendell has built on Troll lands.”

“What about it?” Burly asked.

“It is an insult to you that he came to your kingdom to build his factory, polluting your lands even further. The reason he didn’t build it in his kingdom is because he knew it would poison any place he put it. But troll lands belong to trolls. If you want a factory, build a factory. Don’t let this king insult you with his.”

“We’ve tried to attack the factory. It is well guarded.”

“That was while your kingdom was divided. Now that your majesties wisely united together I can help you destroy the factory and show the strength of the trolls to all the other kingdoms.”

“Why? What’s in this for you?”

“I want to destroy Duke Lewis. He built the factory. I know its weaknesses. With ten of your best fighters, I can show everyone the might of the Troll Kingdom. First, you need to write a letter to King Wendell asking him to abandon the factory. Tell him you will let all his workers and guards peacefully leave your lands if he writes back and they leave within a fortnight.”

“Trolls don’t ask. They take! We don’t write letters.”

“You have to. You need to send an emissary with the letter. Your emissary cannot attack anyone or steal anything while they are in the 4th Kingdom. And you must deliver the letter. This shows the other kingdoms that you tried to be peaceful and that this issue is between you and Wendell. If you just attack the factory, Wendell can ask for help and no kingdom, not even the Troll Kingdom, can stand against all the others when they are united. But you don’t have to worry. Wendell will not do what we ask. After he refuses, we will attack the factory and we will let one survivor return to the king to tell them of the Troll victory.”

She turned to the other trolls in the room. “Trolls once held half of the 4thKingdom! They took it by strength!” The trolls cheered. “While the queen was scheming and betraying your king, the trolls marched across the land and conquered it! Only by the united kingdoms were you forced back to your lands. And then King Wendell decides to take advantage of you and steals your land to build his poisonous factory!” The room erupted with bloodlusty battlecries.

She held out a parchment to the Royals. “This is the letter. Sign it, send an emissary to Wendell, and we can start the tournament to find the ten best trolls in the land.”

“I am the best troll in the land,” Burly snarled.

“I do not include your highnesses. Your skills are needed for war. I dare not take you on such a small battle. I need the next best fighters in the land.”

“Of course. I knew that.”

The three Royals signed the letter, sealed it, and sent it. Then they eagerly began planning the tournament.

“Who are you?” Blabberwort suddenly asked.

“Green-Tail.” She turned to show the dyed tip of her wolf tail.

The Royals laughed and teased her for the rest of her stay, calling her Moss-fur, Weed-tail, and other names.

Most of the tournament was useless, but Green-Tail insisted that each troll be announced so she could keep track of the skillful ones. After the tournament, she announced the ten she wanted and began training them. She also sent orders for dark armor to be made very specially for the mission.

The emissary returned and told them that Wendell had laughed at him and threatened to cut off his head if he harmed anyone in his kingdom. The troll boasted to killing a family on the border, where the king could not catch him. It was time for Green-Tail and her trolls.

She held a bowl of black paint and walked down the line of her armored trolls. She painted their faces as she told them of the terrible fear they will create as they sneak from the shadows to destroy the workers and guards. How their victims will piss themselves when they silently appear beside them. In her words she reminded them of her stealth training which she knew was against all troll instincts to rush and hack. But it didn’t matter. Even if the trolls forgot everything, they would be enough of a distraction for her to enter the factory and bring it down.

They took a loping pace through the bean stalks to the factory. They arrived a few hours before daybreak, and the cleared ground around the factory was lit with torches. She sent two to the left and two to the right to extinguish torches and draw attention from the rest as they entered the grounds. The trolls kept silent until they entered the living quarters and found sleeping workers. Then the bloodlust and chaos broke and battlecries and screams filled the air. Green-Tail entered the factory and planted her bombs and from the doorway cast her fire spells to ignite them. The factory collapsed and smoke and dust obscured everything. She almost ran into the troll leader.

“They didn’t want the factory destroyed. They wanted the factory for themselves,” he said.

“Too bad. There’s a problem with trolls, anyway.”

“What’s that?”

Green-Tail leapt and slashed his throat with a concealed knife. “They’re too predictable.” She knew that the Royals had told him to kill her after the battle. She ran from the slaughter and out of the Troll Kingdom.


	2. Wendell Sends Stefan

Wendell was furious when he heard the news.

“Since when are trolls tacticians?”

“My lord, there are reports that the trolls had help. The survivors say they saw a woman with them.”

“A human? Who?”

“Some say it was a she-wolf.”

Wendell sighed. He knew who it was. He hoped he was wrong. He didn’t expect the survivors to be able to tell whether her tail was green, but he knew her even before she took to dying it. He knew her when she was toddling around the palace and he himself called her his little Mag-pie. Margaret Wolf, granddaughter to Duke Lewis. He flashed a look at Wolf and Tony and they bothered to look guilty.

“Send for the Captain of the Fangs.”

While there were costs to his pardon for wolves over twenty years ago, Wendell still believed the benefits were greater. He had stolen his step-mother’s plan to create a secret police of them and to put Wolf at their head. Wolf had family cares but still trained the first members of the Fangs. Now Wolf was retired but still a royal consultant and member of the court. Captain Stefan knelt before the throne, his tail brushing the heel of his boot.

“Captain Stefan. I have a mission for you. It is…” he looked at Wolf, who was restraining himself from speaking. “…a delicate mission. One I trust with you alone.” Wendell waited for Stefan to appreciate the honor.

“I am honored, my king.”

“My factory in the Troll Kingdom was destroyed by what sounds to be an elite team of trolls led by a she-wolf. The wolf is a subject of ours and a threat to our properties. I need you to track her and bring her back alive for trial.” Wolf let out a quiet sigh of relief, though he was still worried. As he should be. “If it is reasonable. Should she seriously danger your life or if there is a chance she could escape you, kill her. We will be grieved but we will understand. I remind you that this is a delicate mission and I expect you to be discreet.”

“I understand my lord.” Wendell saw that Stefan was in fact quite confused, but obedience was more important.

“Go.”

Stefan found her trail at the factory. Rain and later visitors had obscured signs of the battle, but he could still read the field. He had dismissed the king’s description of an elite team of trolls, but he read restraint in their footprints until they reached the living quarters. And he found her tracks into and out of the rubble of the factory. The stink of troll blood on her path threw him off, but once he decided that she had killed the troll, another curiosity if she was allied with them, he followed the smell until he picked up her tracks again and followed them out of the Troll Kingdom.

They led him into the Great Forest and for a couple days it was a little boring for Stefan. She had no fear of being tracked and made no attempt to conceal her path. Until her path crossed his from a few days ago. Both scents were equally old. As he had gone down this road on his way to the factory, she had sat in a tree and watched. He even found a few hairs in the bark, dyed green. They held her scent more strongly than the footprints and brushed foliage he had been following. He inhaled deeply, to commit her scent to memory. After he had passed her tree, she had climbed down and gone to the road. She had followed him for a mile until he went into the bushes to pee. Her tracks went to the same bush and then off into the trees away from him.

She had his scent now too. Stefan was no longer bored. After she had his scent, she went to great pains to conceal her tracks. He had to use every trick he knew to follow her. He was, in truth, the best tracker in the Fangs. After he became Captain, controversially because of his youth, he hadn’t have the leisure to attend missions. So his tracking skills were a little rusty. Not that he minded a challenge. His instincts quickly refreshed themselves and he tried to catch up to her. Because everyone knows it takes more time and effort to conceal tracks than to find them. Usually.

Early on he thought he lost her trail. He crossed and recrossed a clearing, not sure how she had left it. Then he saw some green fur caught on a tree, higher than her tail would swing and was suspicious he was being misled but it put him back on her trail. That happened a couple times. He would be close to losing her when he would see a green tuft where it shouldn’t be. It wasn’t long before he realized she was taunting him. Soon the frustration of her confusing trail was nothing compared to the irritation of finding that demeaning clue. He was determined to regain ground, but sometimes his haste made him lose the trail and no tuft anticipated him rushing ahead. Those setbacks upset him the most.

Night worried him. She could hide better than he could seek in the dark. But he had a good nose and could smell the tufts when he came to one of her lost spots. Night slowed him down but he slept only when he needed and kept going.

She almost had him.

He had been wondering for a while why he hadn’t found a nest yet. As far as he could tell, she hadn’t slept in three days. There were magical and medicinal ways to avoid it, but they had a price. Finally he found it. It reeked of her. She must have slept a long time to make up for the lack. And her trail away from the nest was twelve hours old. He was catching up. He was about to move on when he saw fresh bark lying on top of the forest litter. It was several feet away from any tree, but probably had fallen from a branch. He watched the wind blow through the trees in gusts and turned his back to the nest. He waited for a gust to hit the branches above him and leapt to the side just as she pounced on him. She managed a side kick as she fell that knocked him over. They both scrambled to their feet and got a good look at each other.

It had been nearly a week since either of them had bathed and their bodies were strong with their personal odors. Neither had reached thirty and while Stefan was a little soft after a few years of being captain, they were both well formed and strong. Green-Tail had silky brown hair that escaped from her braid no matter how she tied it. Stefan had thick black hair and the beginnings of a beard. There was a hint of mutual attraction and respect.

“Clever. Your nest hid your fresh scent.”

“What gave it away?”

“You tore bark off of the branch you jumped to when you climbed up.”

She frowned. But her eyes glinted as she asked, “How did you like my little presents?”

Stefan snarled. “You think too highly of yourself. I easily followed you.”

“That explains why I’ve been in this tree for six hours longer than I expected. I assumed Wendell would send his best scout.”

“I am the best scout! And how dare you speak so familiar of the King.”

Green-Tail smirked. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I know you are an enemy of the 4th Kingdom. That’s all I need to know.” During the whole conversation, Stefan had been watching for an opening. He found one when she laughed and glanced aside. He lunged but she had feinted the opening and was ready.

Her knee clocked his jaw hard and it was a good thing his tongue was not between his teeth. She yanked one of his arms to throw him off balance and get him to the ground. They wrestled, his strength against her agility. When he thought he had her pinned, she would bend or twist and suddenly would be free and he was on the defensive. Both tired in mind and body, they were evenly matched and eventually acknowledged the stalemate.

He bent his knees as she leaned back from straddling his stomach and she let go of his limp arms. He reached for her arm and she swatted him aside with a tired blow. They both tried to catch their breath.

“Was it good for you?” she asked, laughing.

“Give me a few minutes, I can go again.”

They chuckled and Green-Tail opened her jacket and loosened the collar of her shirt. “I’m so sweaty. How is it I haven’t beat you yet?”

She looked at him.

“You’ve been sitting in a tree for over six hours, senses tight. I’ve been sleeping. I’m more rested. How is it I haven’t beat you yet?”

“Because I am amazing.”

He laughed.

“For example, I not only trained trolls, but led them into a successful battle. Not even a Troll King can always say that.”

“How did you manage it?”

“Trade secrets. I’ll share one, though.” She rubbed her collarbone and tugged at her shirt to get more airflow. “Something I got from the Troll Kingdom.” The hand inside her shirt, the one at her collarbone, appeared with a small bag. He could smell it faintly, though the sweat inside her shirt had masked it until now.

“That’ll only buy you a few hours,” he warned.

“More than enough. It’s been fun playing but I have business to attend to.” She threw the bag at him and kicked up and away. He tried to catch it, but as his hand hit it, the bag unraveled and Troll Dust settled across his face and chest, knocking him out.

Green-Tail caught her breath and took up a loping pace toward the swamps.


	3. The Swamp's on Fire

Stefan was pissed now. He had been humiliated as a tracker, stalemated wrestling with what he considered a child, outwitted, and now he had a Troll Dust hangover. Luckily she was finished hiding her trail. It was a straight line for the swamps. If she thought the swamp odors would mask her, she was mistaken. But that didn't make sense, considering her tracking skills, and he realized what her next target was as the smell of smoke came to him on the breeze. He looked for a tall tree and climbed as fast as he could.

The swamp was on fire.

She'd destroyed the oil pump. Bright sparks flew through the air above the trees as the sprites tried to escape. He could see that the smoke and the bright light of the flames were blinding them. All manner of creatures tried to flee, but between the sucking muck of the swamp and the flames, few were able to escape. He saw the oil pump and the volcanic spray from its wreckage. Even if she wasn't killed igniting the oil… even if she knew her way through the swamp… even if she could see through smoke… the fire was spreading too fast. If she was alive, he knew she was trapped. But he didn't know how to help. He didn't know how he'd even find her, if she had become disoriented in the chaos.

Of course, all of this didn't occur to him. All he knew was that she was in danger and he needed to save her. He climbed out of the tree and ran toward the pump. He passed nasty wights and evil ghouls, but they were more concerned with getting away from the fire than in tricking him to death. A distracted sprite flew too close and he snatched it out of the air.

"Send me to the she-wolf!"

"Let go!"

"Send me to the she-wolf and I'll tell you which way to go!"

"Which way?"

He pointed back the way he came and she pointed at him. A green flash blinded him and then thick oil smoke choked him. Stefan bent over, coughing and eyes watering. He was nearly knee deep in water and he looked around for Green-Tail. All he saw was fire and water. He cursed the sprite and then saw two orange globes glowing in the pool in front of him. He backed out of the water and saw Green-Tail thrash to the surface gasping for air and blasting fire from her hands back down into the pool. The water boiled and Stefan saw hands clutch at her and then disappear into the pool. He reached to pull her out of the water and almost got a fireball to the face before she recognized him.

She had something on her face. "You've got leeches," he said.

"They can have it. Which way out?"

He pulled off the ones he could see and she yelped. "I don't know. I think we're still close to the pump."

A flaming tree started to fall. They pulled each other out of the way of its branches. Stefan looked around and thought he saw a constellation through the smoke where the tree had stood. He reoriented himself and pushed her. "This way."

"That's further into the swamp!"

"Trust me!"

Stefan used to know the swamp. Back when his landmarks weren't falling over and turning to char, when smoke didn't clog his nostrils. But he found it. He almost ran past it, but he recognized the Swamp Witch's hut. The roof was burning and a neighboring tree was leaning dangerously close. He pulled her toward the squat thing.

"You're crazy!" she shouted.

He yanked open the door and shoved her inside. Burning moss dripped between the rafters and Green-Tail hurriedly brushed them out of her hair and off her clothes. Stefan ran to the cellar and pulled open the door. "Get in!"

She dove down the stairs and hit the Swamp Witch's coffin with her left shoulder. Stefan climbed down and closed the heavy doors behind him. The air was cold and moldy, but clear.

"Are you alright?" she asked as he finished climbing down.

The question surprised him. "Uh, yeah. What about you?"

"Half drowned, but I think nothing worse than a few scratches. Will we be safe down here?" Green-Tail rubbed the shoulder that had struck the coffin and looked around.

"Safer than out there. This might end up being our tomb but our chances are a little better. And at least we'll have company."

Green-Tail turned to look at the mummy of the first evil stepmother and Stefan saw another leech on her neck, fat from blood. It came away easily when he pulled it. "We'd better find the rest of these," he said, showing her the leech.

She sighed and stripped down. After they removed the rest from her skin, they inspected her clothes thoroughly before she redressed. Green-Tail tried to watch Stefan without him noticing while he tried to look at her without her noticing while she was undressed. They both failed. But he didn't gape rudely or touch her more than he had to while he pulled off the leeches, and she didn't scold him for glancing.

There was a crash from above and the boards between the hut and the cellar started to smoke. They moved back to the part of the cellar underground the swamp and leaned against the damp peat.

"How did you find me?"

"I told you I was the best scout in the 4th Kingdom."

Green-Tail looked at him skeptically. "No one's that good."

Stefan smiled. "I am." He cleared his throat and became serious. "You realize that you're under arrest and I will take you back to the palace."

"I know."

"And I've been given permission to be forceful if you try to escape."

"I won't try to escape."

"They all say that."

"Do they? I wouldn't think it comes up in conversation, normally."

"Of course you're going to try to escape. You're a criminal. I can't trust you when you say you won't."

"I won't. Now that the pump's been destroyed and the oil set on fire, I'm done. Now I need to talk to the king."

"You're going to go on trial as a threat to the kingdom. You're going to hang."

"But not before I get to speak. And maybe now they'll listen."

"Can I trust you?" Stefan asked.

Green-Tail looked back at him. "As much as I can trust you. So, who do I owe my life and death to?"

"Captain Stefan Redpaw of King Wendell's Fangs."

"I figured you were a Fang. Any male wolf under the age of fifty wants to be a Fang."

"It's a high honor. And we want to prove we are more than animals."

"I know, I know. I know all about Fang pride."

"What about you? You look down on Fangs, you ally with trolls, you destroy royal property… Anarchist? Do you yearn for the days of chaos and black magic?"

"My name is Green-Tail. Have you heard of me?"

Stefan shook his head.

Green-Tail snorted in disgust. "He doesn't even respect me enough to warn his guards about me. I told Wendell that I couldn't let him and Duke Lewis destroy the nine kingdoms. And he didn't think I could do anything about it. Typical."

"He knew you were going to destroy the factory and the oil pump?"

"No. I talked to him several years ago, but still. When someone threatens you, you should at least tell other people."

"That's childish."

"And now the swamp's on fire. Who's childish now?"

"About that. Why would you do this? You've killed… I don't know… hundreds of creatures. That doesn't seem like you."

"You don't know me."

"You're right," Stefan said thoughtfully, "I don't." He felt comfortable around her. He knew his guard was down and she could take advantage of him, but somehow he trusted that she wouldn't run away or attack him. The floor under the hut collapsed and some flaming rubble settled into the cellar. But the cellar held, and most of the hut had already burned away.

"I was getting a little cold." Green-Tail cautiously moved closer to the fire.

"It'll use up all our air."

"No, the hut's all gone. There's enough airflow. We're okay. This was a good idea."

Stefan sat and tried not to think of what he hoped she'd say. How she'd say it. While he was at it, he avoided looking at her. He was too worried about the cellar collapsing to sleep, but not worried enough to leave. So he sat there, not thinking of anything.

Green-Tail had her own conflict. She should despise the blind, deaf, and dumb servant of King Wendell sent to arrest her, but she couldn't. When he'd helped her out of the pool of drowning bodies, she had been relieved. Though now, she wondered if her relief was at seeing him again or in being helped out of the water.

The wood that had fallen burned out and Green-Tail could see smoke wafting past a blue sky. "I think we're safe," she said.

They weren't the words Stefan had been hoping against, but she sat close next to him. "We ought to sleep while we wait for the fires to burn down."

Stefan tensed when their bodies touched. He swallowed and, to distract himself, said, "I know your parents didn't dye your tail when you were born. What's your real name?"

Green-Tail caught a whiff of his pheromones and asked, "Do you need me to sleep on the other side?"

"Please."

Without judgment, she stood and lay down on the far side of the coffin. Mummies didn't bother her, and neither did male-wolves.

Stefan ran his hair between his fingers. It didn't make sense. None of this made any sense. She was a murdering criminal and she wasn't even all that good looking. She was only slightly attractive, but not enough to distract him. Or she shouldn't. She wasn't even trying to seduce him in order to escape. She said she wouldn't leave him, and he knew she wouldn't. Somehow he just knew.

Green-Tail was also confused. Why had she sat next to him? She'd wanted to fall asleep against him. And if one thing had led to another… She actually felt disappointed that they were sleeping apart. From what she'd smelled on him when she got up, he was more than willing, as far as his body was concerned. But he was grateful she left. And she shouldn't even be thinking this way about the man who arrested her. She sighed in frustration at herself, a little louder than she intended.

They rested, if not slept, for several hours and then carefully climbed out of the Witch's cellar. Anything covered in oil still burned and the swamp was a hot, mucky wasteland of charred vegetation. Trees and branches stuck out like black ribs. Water was deceptively deep, and the fallen trees were deceptively hot. They had to move carefully and slow, and what could have taken one long afternoon found them forced to make camp with several miles left to go.


	4. Travel to the Castle

Neither spoke much during the journey to the palace. They were both lost in their own thoughts.

Green-Tail decided there was an uncomfortable amount of comfortableness between them. He'd take her hand as she climbed over some trees and they would forget to let go for a quarter mile. When he realized he was still holding her hand, he let go and that was when she would realize they had been touching. Unnaturally natural, she also thought. But it'll be over soon. I'll be dead a few days after we reach the palace. But then shouldn't she take advantage of her last night unchained and with a handsome male-wolf? She shook her head. Opportunity isn't a good enough reason. She didn't even know him.

Stefan was still wrestling with being attracted to a criminal. At protecting her when he knew she was doomed. What should it matter if she burns her hand today when in a few days she'll be hanging by her neck? He tried to justify it that the king would want her in good health, but that reasoning seemed a little weak to him.

They had scrounged some burnt carcasses as they traveled and had snacked as they walked, saving some for dinner. Green-Tail carefully shifted some hot wood into a pile and coaxed it to flame with a small spell, then spitted the two rabbits and the wood gnome.

"I say we each get a rabbit and we split the gnome. They tend to taste a little swampy to me."

"Who are you?" Stefan burst out. "Nothing you've done makes any sense."

"And knowing my name will help?"

"It'll start. You have to have reasons why you destroyed the swamp. You're a wolf! There is one kingdom, of all the nine, who accept wolves. And we still fight a lot of prejudice. They all think we're evil and uncontrollable killing machines. For twenty years we've worked against that, to prove we can be trusted, and you attack the one man who's trying to defend our people. Are you trying to justify everyone's fears? And not only that, but you destroy one of the largest havens we have in this kingdom! I wouldn't be surprised if this fire spread to the Great Forest, and all of us will have no where else to go but the cities. And that's just a recipe for disaster. I can't believe that's what you want. It… No true wolf deserving the name would act like you do."

Green-Tail sprang to her feet, her eyes blazing. "Only a true wolf would do what I have done. Don't talk to me about what wolves have done to deserve their place in this kingdom. That place was given to you as a reward for the acts my father performed for the king. If it weren't for him, we would be despised openly everywhere. But a true wolf would risk anything to protect their land. And I claim all the nine kingdoms as mine. I spit on every creature, wolf or man, who would obey a king who poisons his lands and his neighbor's lands for greed and lust for power. That oil is used to create plastic and machines that have no place in this world. That factory did more harm to the Troll Kingdom than those beanstalks ever did. The beanstalks are at least natural. They don't pollute the whole world. That factory's poison would spread. In the land it would taint the ground water. The ground water feeds the streams and taint plants and animals miles away. Lakes and rivers and then to the ocean. The smog spreads in the winds and poisons the rain that falls from it.

"And Wendell wasn't going to stop at one factory. My grandfather has plans for thousands of machines. Wendell is going to dominate this continent with technology stolen from the 10th Kingdom. And that world is struggling to survive because it has polluted itself for so long. That world is choking on its technology. Technology that came naturally to it. That was created one idea at a time, not stolen from another world.

"My grandfather hates magic and would like nothing more than to replace it with machines. Magic makes the user pay for its benefits, and he doesn't see that when he uses artificial medicines or sterilized needles, that the process to create them makes someone else pay for its benefits. But he doesn't care about someone else. Wendell doesn't care about the Troll Kingdom. It only feeds into the Great Lake. It only is connected to everyone else the way everyone is connected. He only sees power."

It was an old argument but she had hope with a new audience. She got worked up and her eyes flashed gold. He thought she was magnificent. Whatever was going on, she believed in it fully. She finished her rant on the evils of technology and as she waited for him to say something, he realized that he loved her. Illogically. He couldn't handle what felt like the loss of his good sense and he left the fire to take a walk.

The way he left without a word deflated Green-Tail. Another one who didn't believe her. She tended the meat and ate her share without tasting it. When he returned, she lay down with her back to him. He decided it was for the best. He didn't want to get too attached to her before she was killed.

The next morning, she ignored him and walked ahead. They cleared the boundaries of the fire damaged swamp and were able to pick up their pace until they reached the White Avenue that led to the palace.

When it came into sight, they paused.

"You don't have to," Stefan said.

"I'm not running away."

"You wouldn't be running away if I let you go."

Green-Tail stared at him while he shifted his weight awkwardly.

"I just… I don't want to see you die. Just because you don't know how to change something without destroying it. Your heart is in the right place."

"How can you say that? You're not just a soldier, you're a Fang."

He swallowed and said, "If you ask me, I'll let you go."

And that was when Green-Tail knew she loved him.

"Come on, I don't want to miss supper in the dungeons."

They marched into the palace together. They were treated like visitors while the King was at his supper. A page informed him that Stefan was in a waiting room, and assuming he was alone, the King ordered that he be fed until Wendell could see him.

Stefan and Green-Tail ate porkchops and vegetable stew and bread. They didn't have much appetite but Green-Tail forced herself to gorge on her last decent meal.

The King entered the waiting room and was disgusted at the strong smell of oily smoke, swamp and sweat.

"Alright, Stefan, how did she get away?" Wendell asked before he recognized her.

Stefan bowed his head, but Green-Tail inclined hers defiantly.

"Why isn't she in chains and in my dungeons?"

"She didn't need chains. And she wished to speak to you."

Wendell sighed. "What have you gotten yourself into, Margaret?"

"I told you I would stop you."

"You've only slowed progress and killed my subjects. What do you have to say before I have you arrested properly?"

"I have nothing to say that you haven't heard before. I'll save my words for my trial."

"Very well. Guards!"

She was grabbed roughly and dragged to the dungeon even though she wasn't struggling, only trying to keep her feet.

Wendell watched how Stefan reacted to her rough treatment.

"I imagine this was hard for you, Stefan. To arrest another wolf. I want you to know I appreciate your diligence and obedience. I sent you because you are the best and I knew I could trust you. I heard she's an excellent tracker. Did that make it hard for you to find her?"

"It wasn't too difficult, your highness."

"Was she the one to destroy my oil pump?"

"I didn't actually see her do it, but I'm sure it was her."

"You did a good job. Take a few days off."

"Your highness? When is her trial to be?"

"I haven't decided. You are dismissed."

Stefan went to the dungeon. He wanted to make sure she wasn't chained too tightly and that her room was dry and rat-free. He found her as there was one cell he could not access.

"Royal orders. She's to have no visitors," the guards said.

Stefan thought he remembered it was dry, but he hadn't been in the maximum security cell very often. In fact, he wasn't sure if it had been used before.

One his way to his rooms, he stopped on a balcony on the same side of the palace as she and howled.

The palace was full of Fangs who took up their Captain's howl and he was sad they drowned her out. If she'd even heard him. As the howls dispersed, he heard one faint voice linger, as clear as silver moonlight.


	5. Stefan Meets Wolf

The Fangs were housed in a ground wing closest to the forest. King Wendell had built a door from the wing into a courtyard, and another gate into the palace wall so the Fangs could easily enter the forest. Some argued against having such easy access into the palace, but once the Fangs had been trained they left the gate unlocked, daring anyone to infiltrate the palace through the place where the Fangs trained, ate, and slept. The entrances were always guarded by Fangs, except for the day before and after the full moon, when a small squad from the palace took over while the Fangs were out with the full moon.

Despite common fears, when half-wolves have regular contact with the moon, they can reasonably restrain themselves. Most property damage and animal death can be pointed back to rabid wolves or half-wolf prisoners released after several moons of captivity. But the Fangs had regular exercise and the king provided a small flock of sheep just outside the Fang gate for them to worry. The full moon was a romp more than anything, but peasants were warned against going into the King's Forest during the full moon. Playing with wolves could be deadly.

Stefan was worried about the full moon approaching. It had been a week since Green-Tail was arrested and there had been no talk of a trial or an execution to take place before the romp and he was ready to ask the King that she be released into the Fang's custody during the full moon.

He tried to visit her but still no one was permitted to visit her. He found her father outside the dungeon.

"I'm her father!" Wolf shouted. "He must have said family can see her. I don't want to go inside her cell, I just want to make sure she's alright."

"I'm sorry sir. The King was clear."

Wolf growled and turned away. "You!" He said, recognizing Stefan. "You arrested her."

Stefan swallowed. "Yes, sir." Not only was Wolf Green-Tail's father and his distress was intimidating enough, but he was also Stefan's hero. Stefan had only been a cadet while Wolf was training the first Fangs, but he always remembered the tall imposing man who held his animal nature in check.

"Tell me," Wolf put his arm around Stefan's shoulders and led him away from the dungeon, "how hard was it for you to find her?" Wolf's eyes gleamed merrily.

"Very hard, sir."

Wolf took Stefan back to his quarters and made Stefan give him a full account of the chase. Wolf laughed at the tricks his daughter had played. When the story was over, Wolf sat and thought.

"She wanted to be caught," he said.

"Or she was cocky. She assumed she'd be able to take me out at the ambush."

"No, she always meant to use the troll dust on you. Her plan worked perfectly. But why?"

"Don't you know?"

Wolf shook his head. "She's always argued against Tony's industrial revolution. She was more or less banished to the 10th Kingdom a few years ago and she came back about a month ago. She told us she was visiting some friends right before we found out about what she'd done to the factory. She could have escaped you. She should have waited longer before attacking the oil pump. And she didn't try to escape?"

"No. I didn't even cuff her. She came willingly, after the pump was destroyed."

"Why?"

"She did say something about speaking at the trial and hoping people would listen to her. She lectured me and she's very persuasive. Is it true, what she says about the factory poisoning all the kingdoms?"

"That's stuff she learned in the 10th Kingdom. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard it enough times to know what she thinks will happen."

"Is there any way the king will let her live?"

Wolf shrugged. "In a way, our family is powerful. He has to be careful not to upset us too much. Tony doesn't like what she's done, but she's still his granddaughter, and Virginia can sway him if she gets upset. Tony could refuse to help him with his revolution. And I have some pull with the Fangs, unless they think I'm too old…"

"Oh, no sir. There are some of us who are, if you'll pardon me, more loyal to you than to the king. You've done so much and given us our lives."

"So Wendell needs to handle this very politically. Even so, a father has a right to see his daughter!" Wolf shouted and marched from the room to the audience chamber. He was stopped by the guards. "Let me in!"

"Not until you've calmed down, sir."

Wolf took a step back and smoothed his hair and straightened his jacket. Stefan was right behind him. "Okay, I'm calm."

"I'm sorry, sir. You have to wait another five minutes. Those are the rules."

Wolf growled and betrayed his nerves. He was not calm at all. He grabbed a page."Tell the king I need an audience." He shoved the scared little girl past the guards.

The girl came back, trembling. "He says no."

Wolf snarled and stormed off. Stefan let him go and approached the guards alone. They let him pass. Wendell saw him enter and hurriedly ended his audience with a courtier's mother and declared the audiences over for the day and rushed out the back door. Stefan knew better than to try to follow. He went back to the Fangs and ordered a new posting. He stationed a Fang outside the dungeons and another inside each business room. He was to be instantly notified if Green-Tail was moved or if the king made any announcement regarding her sentence. Then he went back to work as captain, but he was still very distracted.

Every night he led a howl, answered by that silvery voice.


	6. Full Moon

The Fangs joked about how their captain was bewitched by a prisoner. They stopped joking when he only became more distracted as the days passed. One lieutenant tried to give him perspective.

"There are plenty of women, Captain. You shouldn't get worked up over an enemy of the realm. She's just a piece of tail, in the end." The lieutenant was on the ground with a bloody nose before either of them knew what happened. Stefan rubbed his knuckles and apologized. The lieutenant was so shocked that he didn't say anything as Stefan walked away.

Rumors flew about the couple. Fangs whispered more earnestly about their captain's bewitchment. Courtiers gave sidelong glances at Stefan and wondered what he'd done to bring her in so meekly. "He wouldn't need to chain me up, either," one girl said.

The day before the full moon, Stefan finally met with the King. "I would like permission to take Green-Tail out for the full moon under custody of the Fangs."

"Permission denied."

Stefan blustered. "But-"

Wendell stood from the throne and shouted, "You wolves think it is your right to run around under the full moon. I have seen what you do. It is a holiday every month. She is a prisoner. She is being punished. It will not kill her to miss one night of festivity."

"It's not a holiday-"

"And she is going to stay in the dungeon until I say otherwise."

"But-"

"If I hear another word about Margaret Lewis from your lips, I will throw you in a cell and you can miss out on your little holiday as well."

Stefan held his tongue and left to find Wolf.

"How can he even expect to hold her down there when the moonlust hits her?"

The blood drained from Wolf's face and he had to sit.

"What is it?" Stefan asked.

"Before we officially formed the Fangs, Wendell had me help design a special cell for rabid wolves. It's completely enclosed. No moonlight and the airflow is from the castle, not outside. You can smell what the king shat before you could smell a dead elk from the forest. And perfectly smooth on the inside, nothing to grab. No chance of escape, even under moonlust." He leaned his head in his hands."I went without the moon for over a year while I was at Snow White Memorial Prison. But I could see her light. I could smell the outside. It made me rabid for a few moons after I got out, but… I've been careful with my girls. They've never been without a moon. I taught them how to keep it under control. I know she was careful while she was in the 10th Kingdom, but I am very sure this will be her first time locked away during a full moon. And I would not wish anyone into that cell, even if they were rabid."

"Why didn't we ever see you and your family during the full moon?"

"My girls were so young, I didn't want them to see grown Fangs in moonlust. We would travel to a little cottage for the full moon."

"And now that they're grown?"

"Only the twins were wolves like me. Gregory is a fine hunter, but he can't smell and he was born without a tail. He wishes he were a half wolf and if he found a fairy powerful enough, he might become one, but he took after his mother. Margaret and Christine are my pups."

"Lady Christine?" Stefan was shocked. "I had no idea she was a wolf."

"She's not, anymore. Exactly. When she came of age, she had surgeons in the 10th Kingdom remove her…" Wolf took a deep breath. Stefan was horrified. Why would anyone choose to stop being a wolf?

"And she doesn't feel moonlust anymore?"

"Not as far as I can tell. I have a son who wishes he was a wolf, and a daughter who wishes she wasn't. She's a perfectly respectable young woman, now. I wonder if she's ashamed to have me as a father."

"No one would, sir."

"Thank you. Come on, we should get out there before things get out of hand."

"I don't know if I can enjoy the moonlight while she's locked up down there."

"Maybe not, but the moon has ways of soothing our nerves."

The Fangs were honored for Wolf to join them and let him lead the chase. The poor sheep were worried and hassled until a few died of heart failure, and then the rest were torn apart. Wolf howled, sad and angry and fierce. The rest of the pack joined him and they ran through the forest. At one point, Wolf cornered Stefan and snarled.

Stefan was frustrated and needed an outlet. He felt deference to Wolf, but when Wolf charged, he couldn't back down. They play-fought, inflicting minor wounds but mostly discharging energy and displaying dominance. Stefan knocked Wolf down and stood over him. They panted, tongues lolling and Wolf lifted his chin in submission. Stefan smacked his shoulder and helped him up. They rejoined the others.

At dawn, they made their exhausted way back to the palace.

"Sorry about that, sir," Stefan said.

"Don't be. And call me Wolf. I'd rather get knocked down by a young wolf than have someone go easy on me. It was a good romp."

Some slept in the woods, but others knew a hearty meal waited in the Fang's dining hall and went to feed before falling into their beds. Fangs were useless the day after a full moon and didn't return to their duties until the following morning.


	7. Maggie is in the Stocks

When they left the treeline, they saw a carriage waiting between the forest and the gate to the palace.

"Whose is that?" Wolf shaded his eyes from the morning sun.

A noblewoman left the carriage and ran toward them. "Father!" she called out.

"Christine?" Wolf shouted and started to run. Stefan followed close behind.

"Father, get in the carriage."

"What happened?"

"He sentenced Maggie to the stocks without a guard."

"What?"

The three of them climbed in and Christine shouted, "Drive!"

Sitting across from them, Stefan could see the resemblance between Christine and her father that he hadn't noticed before. Both had thick black hair that flowed from their faces and bright eyes. Christine's eyes pierced him. "Who is this?"

"Captain Stefan."

She gave him a knowing look and turned to her father. "King Wendell called an emergency council at dawn. He brought Maggie in straight from the dungeon. It was horrible. She was still recovering from her moonlust last night and was hardly coherent. I think he even fed her a live rabbit or something before bringing her up. She had blood all over her but she didn't seem hurt. She looked monstrous. The council condemned her for her crimes and she wasn't able to speak in her defense. And then the king sentenced her to two weeks in the stocks with no guard. Mother and Greggie are trying to hold back the crowds alone."

"That bastard! He won't kill her, but he'll scare the public into doing it for him," Wolf said.

The carriage got bogged down by the crowd two blocks from the executioner's square. Wolf and Stefan climbed out and then Stefan turned back to Christine. "Go back to the Fangs and tell them I need a squad to come here."

"But-"

"Just do it!" Stefan worked his way through the crowd to the square.

Wolf snarled and snapped his way and was the first to reach the stocks. Greg was holding back a group armed with rocks with his sword, and Virginia was fighting a man who tried to get to Greg from behind. She looked so fierce as she defended her children, that Wolf fell in love with her all over again. He pounced on the man and Virginia turned to another group edging from the other side.

After beating him senseless, Wolf helped Greg scare the rock throwers back into the crowd. Stefan finally pushed himself through and went straight to Maggie. Her hair was matted and rabbit blood covered her hands and face and stained the front of her shirt. He brushed her hair from her face and she flinched. She was slightly delirious from the rough night and the noise of the crowd. A rock struck his shoulder and he turned to snarl at the crowd.

The two wolves were exhausted but put up a show, and the two armed humans kept the crowd from rushing Maggie, but bolder people with good aim were able to throw food and rocks from further back. They held up for over half an hour before a squad of the freshest Fangs arrived, washed and in full uniform.

The Fangs stationed a threatening perimeter and the crowd lost a lot of its nerve. Some spectators left, not willing to risk the Fangs' wrath and some stayed to watch in case anyone attacked the Fangs. Another rock was thrown and a sharp-eyed Fang entered the crowd to beat the thrower. That intimidated a lot of people and more left to go home. A few more braved the Fangs but the spirit had left the mob and the immediate danger to Maggie had passed.

Stefan thanked the Fangs and joined the family around Maggie. Virginia was inspecting her daughter.

"Greg, take this and get a bucket, fresh water, a rag and some bread." She handed him some money and went back to soothing Maggie. "She looks dehydrated."

"Wendell won't like seeing the Fangs here," said Wolf.

"That's my problem, not yours," said Stefan.

"Who is this?" Virginia asked.

Maggie certainly took after her mother. Virginia pushed stray strands of brown hair back behind her ears.

"Captain Stefan," he introduced himself.

"The wolf who arrested my daughter?" she accused.

Wolf defended him. "The wolf who brought her in."

"Still. What are you doing here?"

The question rang in his head. What was he doing here? He had been acting without thinking. He had held back a mob to defend a convict. He had ordered his men to defend a convict. Why? Because she was tried unfairly? Because she was the daughter of his hero? The truth lurked in the shadow of his heart, but he didn't admit to it just yet.

"I don't know," he answered.

"It looks like I underestimated wolves' loyalty."

Greg returned with the bucket and bread. Wolf took him back out to buy food for the Fangs who guarded Maggie. They had missed their breakfast and he had heard their stomachs growling.

First Virginia scooped water into her hands for Maggie to drink. Then she washed the blood from her skin. Stefan picked up the bread and fed her small pieces. After a while Maggie regained her senses and pulled her head away from his hand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm helping."

"Honey?" Virginia entered Maggie's field of vision.

"Mommy?" Maggie started to cry.

"Oh, sweetheart." Virginia awkwardly tried to hug her daughter around the stocks. In the end she stroked Maggie's face and wrapped her other arm around Maggie's back."Your proud spirit got you into trouble."

Greg and Wolf returned and the Fangs inhaled the cold meats and bread.

"Hey, she's awake," Greg said. "How's the head? I think a rock clocked you earlier."

"Everything hurts. I didn't even notice."

"I'm sorry about last night, Kiddo," Wolf said.

"Last night wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was."

Maggie shook her head at him, as much as she could. "So," she said, flapping her hands in the armholes, "the stocks, huh? I don't remember a trial."

"It was a farce," Virginia spat.

"How long?"

"Two weeks. No guards."

Maggie mentally digested that.

Meanwhile the carriage returned and Christine descended with a package.

"Wow. I should have been arrested a long time ago. It brings the whole family together."

"Maggie!" Virginia scolded.

"I brought clothes and a hairbrush," Christine announced.

"Why? I'm going to be very rank after two weeks whether I change my clothes now or later."

"I brought you a skirt so you can relieve yourself in private."

"Oh." Maggie had more about two weeks in the stocks to consider. She'd never seen someone there for more than a day, so she never thought about relieving herself on a platform in the public square. "Thanks."

"First you need to get changed into it. Don't thank me for that."

"I'll take care of it," said Virginia, untying the bundle. "I'm her mother, and if I can change in the high school locker room without anyone seeing my underwear, I can get my daughter into a skirt without showing her dignity."

"Mom…" Maggie started to blush and looked at all the people standing around.

"Lift your legs." Virginia helped Maggie get the skirt up and then took off her boots and pants from inside.

"I don't know about your shirt," Virginia said when she was finished.

"I do," Christine held up a blanket, shears and a sleeveless corset.

"Wow. The queen of fashion has a prisoner line. Who knew?"

"Maggie," said Wolf.

Christine stiffened at the jab, and Maggie was embarrassed by everyone standing around. "I'm sorry, Christie. You saved my dignity. Thank you. You are a genius, by the way."

Christine nodded and helped her mother change Maggie's shirt.

Maggie wasn't used to being so humbled so thoroughly. She couldn't even apologize privately anymore. Two weeks in the stocks. She needed help if she was going to simply survive, to be fed and given water. And also for any comforts or else she would bake in the sun, freeze in the night, and have two weeks of refuse at her feet.

The thought of being helpless for even basic needs was almost worse than the threat by the crowds. She looked up and saw people still milling around past the semi-circle of protective Fangs. Without which, she would have probably been stoned to death by now.

After she was comfortably put in the soft corset, Virginia finished rag-washing her and Christine gently brushed the mats out of Maggie's hair. The men stood and talked quietly.

"What are they saying about me?" Maggie asked them. "The people. What do they think happened?"

Greg answered. "You attacked the factory with an army of trolls and killed everyone, and then you blew up the oil pump, killing everything in the swamp. They say that you're a saboteur, murderer, and enemy of the realm."

"I can't reach your wrists," Virginia apologized.

A palace guard approached Stefan. "King Wendell demands the Fangs disperse and that you accompany me back to the palace."

Stefan pointed at the Fangs. "Stay here until I say otherwise. I'll be right back."

After he left, Christine said, "He's certainly handsome."

Maggie replied too casually, "I hadn't noticed."

The women burst into giggles.

"Is there something between you two?" Virginia asked.

"There must be. He ordered his Fangs to stay despite the king's orders." Christine said. "And you should hear the things they say in court about how he brought you in."

"Nothing happened. I came quietly, so he didn't cuff me."

"You came quietly? How disappointing."

Maggie gawked. "That's NOT what I meant."

"I'm surprised that the wild child is more prudish than the courtier," Christine teased.

"There isn't much opportunity for that sort of thing when you're running through the woods by yourself."

"Mm, you miss out on so much. New guards, noble sons…. But you say absolutely nothing happened with that Captain? Whyever not?"

"I was busy with other things."

"You should never be so busy you can't have a little fun with a slab of meat like that."

"Oh, I had fun with him," Maggie said, grinning. She told how she led him on a merry chase through the woods. Virginia and Wolf exchanged glances during the story. That sort of chase was usually considered foreplay between wolves. She ended the story when she knocked him out with the troll dust.

"And that's fun for you?" Christine asked. She rolled her bright eyes and looked at her sister with sympathy.


	8. Maggie Preaches

"It was fun for me. Because he's my mate."

Her father knelt in front of her. "Sweetie, you've been through a lot. I heard about what happened in the swamp and it's exciting to be in danger with someone but… just because he's the first wolf you've met doesn't make him your mate."

"Dad! He's not the first wolf I've met. He's not even my first love. But I know. I felt it the moment I saw him. How did you know Mom was your mate? Even when she fought it?"

Wolf struggled to put words to the indescribable.

"Exactly. It was hard for me to finish my mission, knowing I would have to leave him. I was glad he caught me again and not just because he saved my life. And I wish he wasn't the Captain of the Fangs because I can ruin his reputation. I don't even care if he loves me or not, and I can go on without him. But he's my mate, even if I'm not his and it's nice to know who holds my heart."

The guarding Fangs couldn't pretend they didn't hear that and only their strict training kept them from gossiping about it on the spot. But raised eyebrows promised plenty of talk later on.

"Maggie…" Virginia said, "maybe he feels the same about you."

"He did save your life. Twice," Christine added. She stood up from where she'd been sitting on the platform and brushed dirt from her dress. "Since you're out of immediate danger and I have a better version of the story now, I'm going back to court to spread some gossip. That should help turn the public's opinion of you. Give it a couple days to filter into the masses, though. Kisses."

"You should go too. You look ready to fall over. Go get some sleep," Virginia told Wolf.

"I'll just lay down here."

"We'll be talking and keep you up. Go on. We'll send for you if we need you."

Wolf pulled Virginia aside. "Did I tell you how beautiful you looked with that sword? Fighting a hundred men to keep your baby safe?"

"And you were a wolf god springing out of nowhere, all teeth and fur."

They kissed for a while and then Wolf went to the Fang's barracks to sleep.

Greg and Virginia kept Maggie company.

Stefan entered the audience chamber and many courtiers gasped at his appearance.

Wendell said in a stern voice, "You dare approach me in such a manner?"

Stefan looked down at his clothes. They were covered in sheep's blood, mud, and forest litter and torn in places. His hair was wild and his skin was dirty.

"My apologies," Stefan bowed low. "Last night was the full moon and I came as soon as you bid."

The courtiers made low murmurs. Few had seen moonlusting wolves and they all guessed at the violent games the wolves played in the night. Some were repulsed, some were attracted, and some were envious.

Wendell continued despite Stefan's appearance. "What do you mean by stationing Fangs at the stockade? I ordered that there would be no guard."

"I thought I could supply them for you." Stefan was tired, but the moon had passed enough for his mind to think clearly.

"I didn't mean I was not going to post guards. I ordered that she be unguarded. Your Fangs are violating my orders."

"They are obeying my orders. I misunderstood. I shall tell them they can only volunteer to guard her."

"No. The Fangs are forbidden from the stockade."

"You can't forbid them from spending their free time where they choose. As long as the stockade is public, they can go there off duty."

Wendell stared him down. "I don't want to see a single uniformed Fang at the stockade for the duration of her sentence. All Fang duties will be fulfilled or there will be consequences. And you," he said, pointing at Stefan, "are part of my personal guard for the next two weeks. Go change into a clean uniform and be back here within the hour."

Stefan bowed and returned to the Fang's barracks. He woke his lieutenants and told them he could not order them to guard Maggie but it would mean a lot if they volunteered.

"Captain, she's a convict now. Why are you angering the King over a felon?"

"I have less than an hour, I don't have time to talk but she convinced me that she means well. Any who want to hear her, go and listen to her. If you still think she's wrong, fine. But if you believe her, please protect her."

Roderick Silvereye, his second lieutenant, was put in charge while he washed and dressed. He gulped a large mug of coffee and thought of the long day ahead of him.

"You ought to be sleeping off last night," Roderick said.

"He played a nasty trick. She should have had a proper trial and the chance to defend herself. Listen to her. Please."

"Yes, sir."

A group of Fangs left to tell the stationed ones to leave. The ones who had heard her confess her love for Stefan told the newcomers about it before they left. Some decided to change into their casual clothes and return immediately. The newcomers stayed to listen to her side of the story.

Maggie was surprised to be asked why she attacked the factory and the oil pump, but she started telling them about pollution and stolen technology. Passerbys heard her and stopped to listen and before she knew it, she'd gathered a crowd and was preaching the ills of Wendell's plan.

She certainly held more credibility sober, clean, and groomed. Even Virginia and Greg, who'd heard it all countless times were caught up in the energy.

She convinced many of the Fangs that she was not an anarchist and they sympathized with their Captain, whom they loved almost as much as they loved Wolf. They scheduled their freetime to guard the daughter of their hero, the mate of their Captain, and their true wolf-sister.


	9. Stefan Visits Maggie

Wendell stayed up very late, feeling a grim satisfaction as he watched Stefan fight sleep and frustration. Before the king fell asleep in his own chair, he called it a night and released Stefan.

"I expect you to be back here at dawn," he said as Stefan left.

Stefan didn't even change his clothes. He went straight to the stockade, took off his uniform jacket, and collapsed at Maggie's feet.

Maggie was stiff from the stockade and ached from her time imprisoned during the full moon the night before. She'd spent the whole day bent over and being unable to move was excruciatingly uncomfortable and made sleep almost impossible. It was past dark as she tried to shift her head in a way she could fall asleep when Stefan arrived.

"Stefan? Are you alright?" she asked, alarmed at the way he seemed to fall over.

He rolled onto his back and looked up at her. "How can you ask me if I'm alright?"

"You collapsed. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I should be asking you that question."

Maggie had a growing list of complaints, but he looked completely exhausted and she didn't feel like burdening him.

"I'm alright. Mother tied three or four shawls on so I should be warm until morning." She wondered how tired she would need to be to fall asleep in the stocks. At least it was more comfortable to be looking down at him than trying to look up at her family when they stood before her. "Thank you for sending your men." Gratitude had never been easy for her, but she was getting a lot of practice.

"They volunteered."

"Not at first. I saw the uniforms."

They watched each other in the torchlight.

"You look exhausted," she said.

"I am," he admitted. "So do you."

"I'll go to sleep if you do."

"In a minute."

They continued to look at each other, oddly content. Stefan's eyes were heavy and watching him fight his eyelids made Maggie drowsy. She shifted her legs to a balance point, hung her head down and they fell asleep together.

Maggie woke up with a cramp in her back. She grunted and bent her legs to try to relieve it and woke Stefan.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing. Sorry. Go back to sleep."

Stefan sat up. "What is it?"

Maggie squirmed. "My back is cramping."

Stefan climbed up and rubbed her back.

"Lower," she told him.

He massaged her tight muscles and admired the way her skirt hung from her body.

"Thanks," she said.

He kept massaging and his hands became more sensual. She arched her back and sighed.

"I hate this thing," she said. "I already wish he'd killed me instead."

"Don't say that." Stefan sat in front of her. "There's something I need to tell you."

"You're my mate, too."

Stefan laughed and shook his head. He laughed again and bounced up to kiss her.

"Ow, ow. Keep them short. I don't have any room to move," she complained.

"It's not exactly easy for me either." Stefan craned his neck and crouched to get to her level. "When did you know?" he asked.

"When did it start or when did I figure it out?"

"Both."

"It started when I saw you on your way to the factory. You looked so confident and handsome. I hoped you were sent after me. I figured it out after the king summoned you this morning. What about you?"

"It started when I was tracking you and you kept leaving those tufts of your tail as clues. You drove me mad. And when we met, you belonged to me. I had trouble fighting it, because it was so soon, but you were already mine."

"That's how I felt, too. And now that we've figured it out, I'm in the stocks for two weeks."

"I'll visit you every night and I'll rub your back for you."

"That's okay." Maggie was getting frustrated and was desperate to stand up or stretch out or do anything but be bent over. A little back rub had helped her cramp but she was about to go crazy. "When do you need to leave?"

"Soon." The sky was getting lighter.

She could wait until he left. She didn't want to freak out in front of him.

They kissed a little more and then he ran back to the castle. When she thought he was out of earshot, she strained against the stockade.

The guarding Fangs came closer to see what she was doing.

"Get me out," she begged. "I can't do it."

Peterson said, "I'm sorry. We'll guard you from attack, but we aren't going to disobey the king."

Maggie cried.

Wolf arrived a few hours later with breakfast.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"Daddy, get me out. I can't do it. Please."

Wolf looked at the lock. It was massive and would be difficult to pick. It would take time to break it or to chop at the wood holding it.

"Do you really want me to?" he asked.

"Yes. I can't take it anymore."

"If you really want me to, I will. But it means you'll be an outlaw and you'll have to run away. And people will know I helped you, so our family will have to hide. Wendell controls the mirror so your mother and sister will be stuck in this world. And Wendell will suspect Stefan and the Fangs helped so all of them will be outlaws, too. And everyone will think that Wendell was right about you and no one will listen. Do you still want me to get you out?"

Maggie sobbed, defeated.

He held her head and wiped her tears, forcing her to look at him. "I know this is horrible. But you missed the full moon. If you can do that, you can handle this. It'll get easier, I promise. After a week, you won't even notice it anymore."

Maggie continued to cry.

When there were a lot of people around, Maggie would preach. When her voice failed, she would stop. There were always at least three Fangs and usually a family member to keep her company.

The stockade chafed her neck and wrists raw, her joints ached from their static positions, going to the bathroom was an embarrassingly coordinated effort with a parent and a bucket, and she didn't like being handfed.

Stefan would arrive late, rub her back as best he could and fall asleep at her feet.

Each day broke her spirit a little more. Each morning her speech was a little less inspiring, her protests a little weaker and her discomfort less noticeable.

Wendell had hoped the mob would have killed her that first morning, but he settled for the accounts of her losing her will to fight.

Stefan tried to ignore her dying spirit and was extra cheerful in an attempt to draw her out. But on day ten he asked if she'd like to wear a turtle on her head and she said, "Okay," in the same tone as when he'd asked if she were thirsty.

He kissed her, but even that was lackluster.

"Only a few more days, love."

"Okay."

Her whole family was worried. But public sympathy was growing. Enough people heard her speeches when they were spirited that word of her spread and doubt was raised about the Duke Lewis and King Wendell's Industrial Revolution.

Court gossip also spread and after everyone found out she was mated to the Captain of the Fangs she became part of a tragic romance. Everyone saw her slipping away but it only added to her tale.


	10. Preparing for Maggie's Release

On day twelve around noon, a group of protesters gathered near her.

"No more factories!" they cried.

It took a while for Maggie to notice, but when she did, they gave her strength. They had listened and they had believed her. She resumed her speeches and the protesters supported her.

Wendell was upset. "I didn't mean to make her into a martyr," he complained. Then he remembered Stefan was standing behind him as part of his Royal Guard and he stopped. He'd grown so used to Stefan's presence that Wendell had forgotten about him.

And now the nobles in his court wanted more information on the effects of the factories on the land. They wanted scholars to go into the 10th Kingdom for research.

He called a secret meeting with Duke Lewis and posted his guards outside the room.

Wendell asked Tony, "What do we do now? She's got the peasants in an uproar, and now the nobles want her words proven or disproven. She gets out tomorrow. Begging your pardon, but I expected her to be dead the first day."

"You said you were going to let the public decide her fate. They've decided to listen to her. You can't go back on that now that she's served her sentence. But you could arrest her if she misbehaves again."

"That I should be so lucky."

"Ask her to swear fealty to you. If she refuses, you can arrest her."

"I can only ask my subjects to swear if I give them a title, which I am not going to do."

"She and Christine were born in New York. They aren't natural born subjects. You can reasonably ask her to swear fealty."

"I have to admit, I was worried that you would take her side."

"She is my granddaughter, and I'm glad she wasn't killed, but she's always been stubborn. I wouldn't mind if she were imprisoned for her own safety. I don't have fond memories of the Snow White Memorial Prison, but if you let my daughter provide comforts for Maggie's cell, everyone wins."

"This is going to set back our plans. I was hoping to convince the nobles of the benefits of the 10th Kingdom's technology by summer with those gadgets, and then get to work on the weapons. What were they called again?"

"Handguns."

"Hand-guns. That's not very imaginative. I'll work on a better name for them."

"We could bribe scientists from the 10th Kingdom to lie about the impact of the factories."

"I wanted to avoid contact between our worlds. Is it true, what she says?"

Tony shook his head. "She's exaggerating. In the 10th Kingdom, we call them hippies. There are small effects, but if we recycle and keep some green belts, it'll be fine. If you're worried about it, we could abandon the factories and just buy technology from the 10th Kingdom and ship it here. It would be difficult to get the weapons in bulk and to deliver them to Central Park, but if we had to, it could be done."

"It's the factories she has a problem with. She doesn't mind blacksmiths. What if we still built the weapons but we used dwarves instead?"

Tony fidgeted. "It would be better than nothing." The brilliance of the plan struck him. "We could teach the dwarves about assembly lines and convert their caves into underground factories. She can't complain about pollution that's contained."

"It's a start. I'll want more outside Dragon Mountain so I'll need to solve this environmental problem. Hire the dwarves and build my motorcar, and then focus on the small… slingshot… handguns. And do not train the Fangs how to use them. I can't trust them anymore. Find the best human guards and train them with the handguns. Blast!" Wendell cursed as he left the room. "I need a better name than that!"

On the morning of the fourteenth day, Stefan asked the king when Maggie would be released.

"Tomorrow morning."

"But today-"

"Is the final day of her sentence, and she will see it to the end. Not another word!"

Maggie fidgeted and was anxious to get out of the stocks. By the end of the day her family worried that the king would extend her sentence. Stefan arrived after sundown and told them that the king promised to release her in the morning.

"And then you can come home with me," he beamed.

"With you?" Virginia asked. "Surely she's coming back to her rooms in the palace."

"Would that be a good idea?" Christine asked.

"I thought under the circumstances we should take her to the cottage," said Wolf.

"It's been years since we've been there. I'll bet the roof needs repair and the mattresses are moldy…"

"But we're mates. We belong together now," Stefan said.

Christine interrupted. "Maggie? What do you think?"

Maggie was unsettled by having everyone's sudden attention. "I honestly hadn't thought that far ahead," she admitted. "The cottage would be nice, but it's so far away. I think I'd rather stay with Stefan."

Stefan rushed to her and kissed her hand.

"I think if you two are mates you should be open about it," Wolf said. "I proposed to Virginia before we mated."

"We don't need to, Dad. We're wolves. We mate for life. We don't need to get married like humans."

Wolf's voice was tense. "I would like to know that the wolf my daughter prefers is honorable enough to marry her."

Stefan instantly sank to his knee.

"Stefan, if you propose to me while I'm in the stocks I will bite you," Maggie threatened.

"Do you promise?" Stefan grinned. He stood back up but glanced back at Wolf.

Wolf shrugged. "You need to get a ring first, anyway."

"Oh, it's so romantic!" Virginia said. Everyone looked at her. "I didn't mean getting proposed to in the stocks. I'm not crazy. My daughter's getting married. Every mother waits for that moment."


	11. Maggie Goes Home

Maggie was too anxious to sleep. She dozed off every few hours, but watched the sky for dawn.

Dawn broke and Stefan stayed with her. His punishment was over, as far as he was concerned. At eight o'clock, there was a loud fanfare of the royal alert. King Wendell was coming.

"Why is he coming?" Maggie asked, beginning to panic. She didn't want her sentence extended. She would go crazy.

Peasants emptied their homes and shops to gather at the stockade. The royal carriage, carrying the trumpeters, arrived and the king stepped out and climbed to the platform.

Human guards kept the crowd back and he waited for the crowd to gather a little more before shouting his proclamation.

"This woman, through her violent actions, has brought a serious matter to my attention. Rather than attempt an audience with our royal person, she took matters into her own hands and while it pained me to punish her, she had caused the deaths of many of my subjects. I have decided to stop building factories until I have looked into this environmental matter and learn the truth of it." The crowd cheered. "And if Margaret Lewis, born of the 10th Kingdom, swears fealty to me, she may go free, having served her sentence and completing her purpose to inform me of the perils of pollution." The crowd cheered and King Wendell personally unlocked the stocks and opened the vise.

Maggie's neck and wrists were instantly cold from the sudden air, and while she felt lighter without the stocks holding her, she couldn't move at first. Her back did not want to cooperate when she tried to straighten. Her elbows and shoulders also hurt to move. Stefan hesitantly passed the guards and approached her. Wendell nodded, and Stefan rubbed her back and massaged her arms. Maggie was embarrassed that everyone in town was watching her while she couldn't even stand up. She pushed against the stockade and felt her elbows pop. She grunted and continued to push. Stefan pressed against her back and several vertebrae cracked as she nearly straightened.

Her arms ached and felt more comfortable bent. She looked like an old crooked woman. She slowly turned to face King Wendell and shuffled closer. Stefan helped her kneel.

"My lord, I swear to devote my life to helping you rule your kingdom honorably. I will do nothing but that which keeps your kingdom safe, hale, and prosperous, and to honor you above all other royalty."

Wendell wasn't completely satisfied, but he couldn't argue against her words in front of the crowd without arousing suspicion of his motives. So he acknowledged the win to Maggie and nodded. The crowd cheered and the King waved to them and left in his carriage. Stefan helped Maggie stand back up and scooped her into his arms. "I think I know just what you need."

Back at the Fang's wing, he had a hot bath prepared. "It'll loosen your muscles."

"And get me clean, finally. I smell like week old roadkill." Maggie climbed in and hissed as the water touched her raw wrists.

"I don't mind it."

"You wouldn't mind, but humans do. And I do too, a little."

Stefan rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a sponge. He gently washed her and rubbed her muscles. The warmth and security of the bath soothed her and she fell asleep. When the water started to turn cold, he lifted her out and dressed her in a nightgown and put her to bed.

She woke up alone and stiff. She stretched as much as she could and hobbled around Stefan's room. She dressed in a set of his clothes and left for the mess hall of the Fang's barracks. She gathered a bowl of stew and some hard bread and took her time eating. Then she worked her way to the training yard and watched the Fangs practice. She laughed at herself that she was still working on standing up straight. But she stretched out again and started hobbling around the outside of the yard.

The Fangs didn't know what to do with her, so they ignored her.

After an hour, her legs felt a little better and her stride was starting to even out.

Stefan returned from his meeting with the lieutenants and panicked when he didn't find her in his rooms. He ran back toward the dungeons, sure that she'd been arrested again. Then he saw her making her way around the training yard.

"What are you doing out here?" Relief fueled his anger.

"Excuse me?" Maggie was surprised at his tone.

"You need to rest and recover. If you push yourself, you could get hurt."

"I know my own limits." After two weeks of relying on others for everything, Maggie had enjoyed an afternoon of independence.

"Go back to bed."

"Not until I'm done." She was actually getting worn out and was going to stop soon, but now that he was making a fuss, she had to keep going.

"I say you're done now." Stefan threw her over his shoulder and carried her back to his room. Maggie struggled and cursed at him but she was still too weak. He dumped her onto the bed.

Maggie sat up and crossed her arms. "I didn't realize my mate was such an ass."

"I already knew you were stubborn."

"Did you enjoy showing off in front of your Fangs?"

"That's not what I was doing."

"I was walking! I wasn't riding a horse or cliff diving! But you couldn't let me be. You had to play a power game and show off how manly you are."

"You just spent two weeks in the stocks. I wouldn't have even left you except that I assumed you'd still be sleeping."

"Stefan, I can look after myself. I appreciate what you've done for me for the past two weeks but I'm not like that. Having to ask for help to eat and change and bathe and… that was humiliating. I do know my limits and if I thought I needed to, I would have stayed in bed. Go back to your work and let me worry about me."

"I can't do that."

"What?" Maggie stared at him. "Were you mad because I wasn't where you left me? Did you think I was sneaking off to blow up another building?"

Stefan tried to hide his guilt. "We have to be careful that you don't do anything threatening. We need to talk about what you plan on doing next."

"That's my business."

"That's our business. When we're married, what you do affects both of us."

Maggie looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"I don't think we should get married."

"What?! I thought you said we were mates. What are you even doing here with me?"

"We are mates. You will always be my mate, but I have more work to do and you're the Captain of the Fangs. The one man, besides King Wendell I shouldn't be involved with. I wish it wasn't you. Then I could ask you to come with me. I wouldn't be ashamed of defying Wendell and being a convict. It would affect you if we married. But if we don't, you don't share my guilt."

Stefan had to sit down. "What are you planning to do?" he asked.

"I can't tell you. You're the king's man."

"I defied him for you!" Stefan sprang to his feet. "I lost his trust because of you. I have every Fang and courtier whispering behind my back because of everything I've done for you. They think I'm bewitched because it is so hard to believe that I could love someone as much as I love you. And you accuse me of being the king's man?"

"I'm sorry. But if I told you I was going to break the law as soon as I was able, you'd try to stop me."

"Because I don't want you to face execution, not because I'm spying for the king."

"But if we aren't married, only I will be punished. Otherwise, Wendell will assume you knew something and you'd be tried as an accomplice."

"Can't you just stop? He said he'd look into what you've said."

"You don't know Wendell the way I do. You don't know what's at stake or even what's involved. This isn't over and I haven't won yet."

"You thought you'd be dead by now. Just enjoy your life."

"Just because I didn't die means I should stop fighting. I…" Maggie lost her voice. She shed a few tears and covered her face.

Stefan moved to the bed and held her. She was tired and hurt and he hoped she was speaking out of exhaustion.

"Let's get some sleep," he said.

She fell asleep quickly and he knew she'd overexerted herself. Stefan didn't know what to do about her. It had been romantic for her to come with him rather than live with her family but she had all but told him that she had more planned and would leave as soon as she was able. She would be better off with her parents. They could keep an eye on her. Maybe that was the true reason she wanted to stay with him. His duties would keep him busy most of the day.

When he woke up, he was spooning her and she was talking quietly. He gave her hand a squeeze to let her know he was awake but her tone didn't change and she kept talking on.

"…it's like everything is dead or soulless. I don't know if it was different before, but with technology comes science and science only cares about what can be proven with logic and laws and rules. Whatever laws govern magic, science won't accept them. Everything will come from the brain, not the heart.

"Assembly lines and interchangable parts. Everything will be the same. Everything will be too easy. Our lives will be focused on having more because it was so easy to get what we have. Garbage everywhere. Plastic that won't decay. So unnatural.

"Weapons just get bigger and stronger until everyone can destroy everyone else. Entire planets turned into radioactive ash. And what's the point? A stalemate that decomposes and threatens those that hold it.

"It's not just the factories or the pollution. It's the mentalities that come with technology that I'm afraid of. Scientists that want to study, dissect and harness magic for their use. Magic is dangerous but it is beautiful. Science killed the soul of the 10th Kingdom. Grandpa Lewis doesn't see that. He sees and feels the soul of this world and it scares him. He wants to make this world like his home. Wendell doesn't understand what the cost of his lust will be. He's willing to sell the soul of this world for what he wants.

"But he won't control it. Thoughts and ideas spread further than gadgets. He'll infect the other kingdoms, even if he won't give them the technology. They'll make their own to fight him.

"Will they even realize what they lost? When it's too late will anyone even know what happened?"

"You don't know it'll happen like that."

"If I watch someone fall into a pit and die, I feel responsible to warn the next person about the pit. And when I love that person more than I love myself, I will do anything it takes to keep them safe." She looked at him over her shoulder. "Have you ever been through the mirror?"

"No."

"I can't take each person that I need to convince into the 10th Kingdom, but if it would help you believe me…" she rolled over to look at him in the dim light from the window. "It would be nice to have someone on my side."

"I'm on your side. Even if I disagree with you." Stefan leaned in to kiss her but she blocked him and rolled away. He felt her sigh under his arm and then she got up.

"I need to pee," she said.

She went for a long walk after leaving the toilet, stretching everything that felt sore. She felt a little stronger and she could stand straighter but it would be a few weeks before she would be back to her old self.

"Two more laps, and back to bed," she told herself.

Stefan sent Virginia and Wolf a message to visit Maggie before he left to meet with King Wendell.

"Can I trust you, Captain?" the king asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Margaret Lewis is still a potential threat to the realm. I want her under constant surveillance. She can incite a panic or a mob. I have people looking into the pollution accusation and I don't need her preaching and spreading doubt in the meantime.

"I want to know where she goes, what she says, and who she talks to. I want her arrested if she speaks publicly on any topic. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now about those trolls…"

Virginia found Maggie walking the Fang courtyard.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, it'll just be time, now."

"Stefan couldn't get any time off? Maybe you should stay with me and your father. Or maybe Christine could let you bunk with her."

"I'm fine."

"I would- we would all be more comfortable if there was someone watching over you while you recovered. There isn't anything wrong with that. You went through a lot and you will need help to get your strength back."

"Mom, all I need is time. I know my limits and I'm being careful. All I'm doing is walking!" She laughed. "Everyone is more afraid of what they think I'll do. Look at me. I'm walking. I'm taking it easy and slow. I'm surrounded by people and… I get to spend more time with Stefan. I love you and thanks to everyone for helping me, but… I need some space. I've had people handfeeding me, washing me, helping me keep from peeing on myself and I need some space."

"I understand what you're trying to say, but families help each other. If you need help, we're here for you. Just because I fed you for two weeks doesn't mean I won't help you anymore."

"I know, Momma."

They hugged and Virginia said, "I'll have the rest of your things sent down." They walked on together and Virginia said, "I should tell you the story why your sister decided to make raven feathers popular. Sometimes you girls surprise me with how devious you can be."

"Why did she?"

"She could tell it better but it started when a rookie courtier criticised Christine's dress. And when Christine makes an enemy she's not content until that girl is running home."

"And where do raven feathers come in?"

"I'm getting there."


	12. Maggie Decides to Stay

Stefan returned to the Fang headquarters and reviewed the schedules. With a heavy sigh he added one for Margaret Lewis and sketched out the mission into the Troll Kingdom. Roderick would fill the schedules and brief the Fangs.

Marvon and Kieryn would be watching Maggie. It was easy while she stayed in the Fang courtyard. They could spar and practice while they kept an eye on her and she shouldn't notice. If she ever left, then it would be up to their skills to stay unnoticed.

Stefan wasn't sure whether to tell her or not. He could warn her that she was being watched and that she needed to be careful what she said and to whom. He justified cooperating with Wendell to himself by saying that since he couldn't avoid his own duties, it was better that someone kept an eye on her. He wasn't betraying her, he was protecting her. And she would only be upset if she knew, so he decided not to tell her. Besides, as Captain, the reports would come to him first.

He inspected the cadets and instructed a training session, then he did his own exercises in the training yard. Two weeks of personal guard duty and sleeping outside had not kept him in top form. Maggie was getting stronger and smoother in her movement. He needed to stay ahead of her if he was going to keep her from doing anything stupid.

He felt better when he saw her go back to his room. Marvon casually grabbed a book and picked a shady place overlooking the front door to read. Kieryn went indoors, presumably to watch the inner passage into the castle. They were on duty for the next week and then it would rotate to another pair. Stefan took two bowls of stew for lunch and entered his room. There were three crates half opened and Maggie was sorting through them.

"Mom sent my things over. I'm not sure how much I can unpack." She bit her lip.

"I can have them bring over another wardrobe for you."

"I have other things, though. Decorative… girly… things." She glanced around the austere, masculine room.

"I don't know about that." Stefan set her bowl down on the chest near her and sat on his bed. " Are you staying?" He spooned a mouthful and ate.

Maggie's pride was roused when she thought that he wanted her to apologize or worse, beg.

"I'm not sure. Are you going to be an ass?"

"Only when you're being goat-headed."

Maggie glared at him.

"You're the one who sent for your things. I expected you to be staying with your mother after last night."

"She did ask… Are you two scheming against me?"

"You're a goat-head. I just told her you might be happier staying with her."

"I'm happier where I'm not under constant watch."

Stefan kept his face steady as he spoke. "I was glad to see that you took a break. I'll give you more space if you want to stay."

"Thank you."

He almost felt guilty when he saw the honest appreciation in her face. Almost.

"Should I have them bring in a separate cot while I'm at it?"

"No. You don't have to do that."

Stefan grinned.

"Don't get too excited," she scolded. "I'm still in a delicate condition after my ordeal. You said it yourself, I should overexert myself."

"I can be delicate." He eyed her. "Just let me know when you want some real exercise. What have you got in there?" he pointed at the crates. "I'll let you know what's too girly for our room."

Maggie tried not to be pleased when she heard him say "our room."

Really, the only things that were rejected were the stuffed animals from her childhood. Her books and photo albums were allowed to go on the shelves, her weapons were hung on the walls or stored with his, and her decorative taste wasn't too feminine. Her pictures were of forests and moonscapes and her little knick knacks were subtle and animalistic. He actually liked the room when they finished. It felt more like a home than a room. Her favorite chair was brought down and put in front of his fireplace and the wardrobe arrived in the evening.

"Are you hungry?" he asked while she was putting away her clothes and hiding her stuffed animals in the wardrobe.

"Famished. But I want to wait a little longer before going to the dining hall."

"Dining hall?" the Fang mess had been called a lot of things, but never a dining hall.

"I'd like to time it so Wendell would have left before I arrive." She pulled out a simple but unstained dress. "Can you help me? The sleeves still give me problems."

Stefan grinned and less helped her undress and more seduced her. His hands trailed along her body as he moved from her laces to her buttons, and he stood much too close than was necessary. He heard her breath catch when he breathed on her neck and he smiled. "Do you still want to go to the dining hall?" he asked in a low voice.

"I promised my mother I'd be there."

"We can be late."

"How late?" The moment dissipated when she turned and fixed him with a look. "A few minutes? I don't think so. Hold this." She handed him her dress and wiggled into it without looking at him. "All you wolves are the same."

"How many wolves have you known?" he asked.

"Not as many as you have, I'm sure." She pulled the wardrobe mirror out so she could tie her own laces, but her arms weren't quite limber enough yet.

"Goat-head," he said as he turned her around and straightened her laces and finished tying them.

"Ass. Are you coming?"

"I just need to change my coat." There was a certain level of propriety required in the king's presence, except for special circumstances. Dining wasn't one of them. And while Fangs were given clearance to observe anywhere, Marvon or Kieryn would attract more attention in the dining hall than Stefan would. As they left, he signaled "hold back" to Marvon, who nodded and followed at a casual distance. Hopefully he would watch from the hallway outside the dining hall for them to leave. Stefan would have to supplement the weekly report on her. He wondered if he was required to report on their private conversations or only on her public ones with others. Interpreting Wendell's words, it seemed like he was only concerned about her public speaking.

Wendell was still at the table when they entered. They bowed and curtsied at him and he nodded back. Virginia had kept a seat open for Maggie, and Stefan asked her neighbor to slide over a seat so he could sit with her.

Wolf smiled at Stefan encouragingly, presumably for Maggie's wellbeing and appearance. Christine moved from her seat with her courtier "friends" and Wolf gave up his to her so the women could talk. Wolf bent over to speak into Stefan's ear. "Let me know when you have some free time and I can help you get a ring."

Stefan had forgotten about getting a ring after Maggie had told him that she didn't want to get married. But he didn't want to upset Wolf by telling him that. He just nodded and hoped she'd change her mind. He sighed, thinking that a month ago, getting married was one of the last things he thought he'd be doing.

The next day, he left the Fang wing and met with Wolf at the royal jeweler.

"There is only one ring I recommend," Wolf said. "I bought it for her mother and I remember Maggie loved it when she was a child." He had the jeweler's assistant bring out a singing ring. It chimed nicely, but Stefan knew that magical rings were expensive. "It comes with a lifetime love guarantee," Wolf said. "We even lost ours and we're going strong."

Stefan thought about it. Maybe it would help get things going between him and Maggie. Maybe if she actually fell in love with him, she'd be more reasonable.

"How much?" Stefan asked.

The assistant sniffed. "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

"Hey-" Stefan was offended, but Wolf put his hand on his shoulder.

"How much do you have?" Wolf asked quietly.

Stefan did some fast math. "I can get a thousand Wendells by the end of the day."

Wolf grimaced. "I can help you out, and you can pay me back."

Stefan was going to protest, but Wolf had already turned back to the counter.

"Do you have any…slightly less magical rings?"

The assistant gave Wolf and Stefan a snooty look, put away the singing ring and pulled out another box.

"Our singing rings are the highest quality, but for those whose love is on a budget…"

Stefan growled.

The box opened to show a pearl, similar to the singing ring, but less lustrous and slightly off shape.

"The finger I live, belongs to she who cannot, resist my presence."

"What's that?" Wolf asked.

"That is one of our cheaper, poetic rings. It speaks in haiku. Three thousand."

Stefan gawked.

"And it comes with the lifetime love guarantee?" Wolf asked.

"Thirty year guarantee. After that, it's up to you. And while no one has yet rejected a singing ring, our poetic rings are not quite so fortunate."

"We'll take it," Wolf said.

Stefan kept his mouth shut.

They collected the cash and soon, Stefan was walking back to the castle, looking at the haiku ring.

"I hope that half wolves, sometimes clean themselves with soap, for I dislike mud."

He wasn't so sure about this. But it was magical and her father insisted that she'd love it.

"Here's hoping," he said, putting the box in his pocket.

"This place where I am, I hope I will not be long, for it is quite dark."


	13. Do You Love Me?

How was he going to propose? Stefan used to think about it: the Perfect Proposal. The last one he'd planned was a trip into the forest and making love by moonlight, staying awake to watch the dawn and that would be the moment.

But he didn't think he could pull that off with Maggie. Not with her under surveillance.

Roderick was in the main office reading incoming reports and abstracting them for the king.

Stefan sat down across from Roderick and asked, "How would you propose to a wolf?"

"Are you going to propose to Green-Tail?"

"Maggie."

"Maggie, fine. Are you?"

"If I can think of a way."

"Are you… sure about that?"

"She's my mate. Why wouldn't I?"

Roderick rubbed his bruised jaw. "Permission to be frank."

"Go ahead."

"What if you're wrong about being mates? You were on the hunt and you're not the first wolf to get hot blood while tracking. And she is very attractive and charismatic. But that might not make you mates. She's a felon, Stefan. We all know she's not finished with whatever crimes she has planned. Even if she doesn't drag her family to the noose, she'll take her husband. Treason, Stefan! That's not something anyone should take lightly. We investigate treason down to people who heard rumors and didn't report them. If she steps out of line, even now, you know you'd go with her. Just for not paying attention to the signs. You need to cut her loose. Now."

"I know. But I can't leave her. I need to talk her out of whatever she's planning. It wasn't just that I got hot blood chasing her. She felt like she already belonged to me. I need to protect her because she's my mate."

Roderick asked, "Do you love her?"

Stefan was about to automatically answer yes but he stopped and thought about it. He knew they were mates. And that was shy he wanted to keep her alive. That was why he had a ring in his pocket. He had hot blood chasing her, but not now.

"I don't think I do."

Roderick was relieved. "Then let her go. Save marriage for someone you love."

"But we're mates."

Roderick shrugged. "Strange things happen. Maybe being mates doesn't mean you belong together."

Stefan left to find Maggie.

She was in their room sitting sideways in her chair and looking at her photo album.

"Hey," she said.

"We need to talk." Stefan sat in his chair, facing her.

"About what?" She looked up from the book.

"Do you love me?"

Maggie chewed her lip. "Yes and no. I think love means giving up things for your partner, but I can't give up my fight for you. But I do love you enough to feel bad about it and to try to protect you from it. That's why I don't want to get married. If you were hurt or killed because of me, I wouldn't forgive myself. I want to protect you and keep you safe."

"I love you. I want to keep you safe. But the only way I can think to do that is to keep you here and prevent you from doing anything foolish."

Maggie twisted her mouth. "Stalemate. Neither one of us can win."

Stefan grinned.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Say it again."

"What?"

"Say you love me."

"No." Maggie turned back to her pictures.

Stefan slid from his chair and knelt next to her. Maggie ignored him and turned a page.

"Say it again." Stefan leaned forward and tickled her ear with his breath. "Come on, say it." He watched her fight a smile and he whispered on her cheek, neck and ear, "Say it, say it, say it." He didn't touch her and his tickling breath gave her goosebumps.

"I love you." She said it and turned another page.

He closed the album and ran his nose up her jaw. "Look at me and say it."

She looked at him and her eyes couldn't stay still. They tracked across his face and she bit her lip. "I love you," she whispered.

Stefan half smiled and kissed her gently. "Say it again."

"I love you."

Kiss. "Again."

"I love you."

The next kiss was long and his hand pulled the album away and set it on the ground. She clutched at him and he took her in his arms and laid her on the bed.

"Say it again," he said in the morning.

"Mmph." Maggie lifted her head off the pillow. "If you ask me one more time today, I'll never say it ever again."

"I like to hear you say it." He kissed her shoulder.

"I'll sprinkle it in throughout the day but I swear by the moon I'm getting tired of saying it all at once."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Now run off and do captain things." She put her head back down and mumbled into the pillow, "He gives me grief about overexerting myself and then wears me out. He's such a hypocrite." Then she made mumbly noises in a complaining tone to make him think she had more to say.

Stefan thought about proposing, but the mood didn't feel right. He moved the ring into the jacket he was going to wear and wondered if he could talk her into a midnight walk.

As he left he saw a sleepy Marvon watching the door and he reminded himself that any outdoor trysts would have witnesses.

Stefan walked with a spring in his step and a smile on his face. Roderick met him in the office.

"I see you had a good night. Did you propose?"

"Not yet. But she loves me."

Roderick held his tongue and changed the subject. "Have you thought about who should take Marvon and Kieryn's place at the end of the week?"

Stefan picked up the roster and scanned it for available names. "What do you think of Dyk and Octavio?"

"It would be their first mission."

"It would be a good first mission. She's not leaving the castle soon. And it would give them a taste for long term surveillance in a team. It's better than sending them out cold across the kingdoms."

"It's up to you, captain."

"Schedule them up."

"The reports are ready for the king." Roderick handed over the scroll that summarized the weekly reports and then the reports themselves.

Stefan made his audience with the king and Wendell was reassured when he saw Stefan's old, professional demeanor while discussing the progress of the Fangs in the nine kingdoms. Stefan was thanked and dismissed.

Dyk and Octavio were in the office bitching about the mission.

Stefan barked at them, "Are you arguing with your superior?"

They hung their heads.

Stefan sat down. "Now. What do you need clarified?"

Octavio said, "We think this mission is a waste of time. Sir."

"The king wants her under constant supervision and a report of all her public conversations. If the king doesn't think it's a waste of time, neither do the Fangs."

"But she doesn't go anywhere," said Dyk. "Everyone knows where she is all the time. When she's not in the courtyard, she's with you. She doesn't need a team watching her."

"What if she visits her family in their rooms? What if she goes shopping in town? What if she goes to the kitchen for a midnight snack? Who's around then?"

"So she needs one person."

"Constant supervision requires a team. Come on, pups, you know that. I know this is an easy mission, but it's a good chance to get your paws wet and find out what it's like to have to work as a team so that at least one person is watching her at all times. Even at night. Do you know who's been watching her for the past week?"

They thought about it, but shook their heads.

"Take all missions seriously. This is good practice for your skills. And for writing reports. With this under your belt, it'll be easier for the lieutenant or me to think you rookies can handle something more… important. But don't underestimate her. If the king thinks it's worth our time, then it's worth our best. Dismissed."

After they left, Roderick said, "After that speech, you'd think the king never sent us on trivial jobs."

"Of course he does, but they don't need to figure that out just yet. And even the trivial, pointless jobs need to be done. If their reports are lacking, they'll have earned the next courtier surveillance job." Stefan looked over the scheduling. "Why are Red Paw, Long Tooth and Colby off duty for the next three weeks?"

"Scheduling fluke. They requested it off months ago and I approved it without realizing they overlapped. But I have their contacts, they can be recalled if they're needed."

"It just makes me a little nervous to have the three best Fangs out of the castle at the same time. Things tend to happen when we're unprepared."

"I think we should need them before we call any back from their vacation."

"Isn't it odd that they ask it off at the same time? I didn't realize they were friends."

"No, they just overlap. That's how it slipped by me. Colby returns in two weeks."

"Oh, you're right. How's the dwarf situation?"

"Quiet. And I think we could handle it without those three if something came up. We might need more Fangs, but those three haven't had a holiday in ages."

"Alright. It just makes me nervous. I'm going to take the cadets for a tracking lesson."

"Have fun."


	14. Maggie Goes Shopping

Maggie's joints were almost back to normal. They still felt a little sore and ached if she worked too much. But she only had the barest amount of stiffness left. She increased her walking speed around the courtyard, taking long fast steps, and divided the walks with small breaks for situps and pushups. She could manage very few before she became winded and had to stop and catch her breath.

At night, Stefan was gentle and rarely had to be reminded of her limits.

"You're getting stronger," he said. "I can feel it in your arms."

"Slowly. I'm getting there, but I won't be wrestling you any time soon."

"I guess I can wait," he joked.

The end of the week came and Dyk and Octavio started their job. They were less subtle than Marvon and Kieryn and because they weren't taking the mission very seriously they spent most of the first day together, talking and sparring. Marvon and Kieryn knew they would regret that at three in the morning when both of them would want to sleep. They weren't stupid enough to go together into the mess for lunch, though. Maggie usually ate outside under the only tree in the courtyard. Then she usually went to her room for a nap or something. She went inside, as usual, and Octavio won the Wendell-flip to eat first while Dyk watched the outer door.

A few minutes later, a Fang walked by. "Don't expect this to happen again, but I'm going to help you out."

"Oh yeah? You got some tips for the babysitter?"

"Yeah. You need two people to watch two doors. The baby is in the castle."

Dyk jumped up and ran inside. He found her two hallways away, heading for the front entrance with a purse in her hand. He slowed down and tried to follow at a casual distance. It got a little awkward when she stopped to talk to the gate guard about the weather and he was still in the middle of the courtyard. He got an idea and walked past her and leaned on the wall next to the gate. He waited a long time and panicked when he thought that maybe she'd changed her mind and turned around. He poked his head around the corner and almost touched her as she walked by. She saw him and smiled. He just stared back, wondering if he'd blown it once she'd noticed him.

He had no choice, now. Octavio was still in the Fang wing. It was up to him to keep an eye on her. He followed her into the town. She had to stop every quarter mile to rest and again, it was awkward for him to wait for her. He tried staying off the road, but it was too hard to keep her in sight and move quietly through the brush. There were other people on the road, so he hoped she didn't notice him.

When she reached town, she went into a shop. He needed to hear any conversations, in case she was meeting with a traitor contact, so he walked into the shop, too. She looked up at him as he entered, and he immediately blushed. It was a store that sold women's undergarments. His mind blanked on an excuse for him to be there.

The shop attendant asked him, "Looking for something particular for your girlfriend?"

"What?"

"Most boys get that panicked look when they come in here. If I can help you with something specific, you can get out of here faster."

"Oh, uh…"

Maggie was staring at him.

"Just some…" he could feel his face blazing. "Do you have any…" he looked around the shop. Inspiration struck. "What would you suggest?"

The shop attendant beamed. She took him around and asked him a few questions and the busier he kept the attendant, the more easily he could keep an eye on Maggie. She bought a two pairs of lace gloves and three pairs of silk stockings.

"That's fine, I'll take that," Dyk said as he watched Maggie pay for her items.

"Yes, sir! Will that be all?"

"What?" Dyk looked at her and saw the heavily embroidered corset she was holding. "On second thought, I think I need to wait. I might be breaking up with my girlfriend soon."

The attendant gawked and Dyk slipped out the door after Maggie. The next shop had a window and he was able to peek at her. If she started talking, he could walk in. The shopkeeper was showing her fabrics and Dyk practiced his lip reading. He was horrible at it, and he hoped they were talking about fabric and not exchanging saboteur tactics and pantomiming. She bought several lengths of a thick fabric and a bit of leather. He hoped she was done and would go back to the castle but she moved on to another shop. He really wished he had Octavio with him, so they could switch off. He had to stand out, following her from store to store. He thought of all sorts of tactics they could have used as a team to keep her from noticing she was being followed.

It was a jewelry store and he ran in when he saw her talking closely with the jeweler.

"…have to clean it to keep it from tarnishing, but sometimes silver enhances a skin tone better than gold would. Would you say he was ruddy?"

"A bit, yeah. More of a pink skin tone than a yellow."

Dyk blushed at his blunder. They were looking at a brooch. And now he had no where to hide.

"I'll be with you in a moment, sir."

Thankfully, Maggie didn't look over at him, but was looking over the brooch carefully. Dyk turned away and looked at the necklaces on the other counter.

"I think that will suit him," she said and paid for it. When she left and the jeweler turned to him, he followed her out the door.

She bought a pastry and ate it on a bench in one of the squares next to the dolphin fountain. It was much easier to watch over her in the courtyard and he took up a spot at the edge of an alley behind her. A man sat next to her on the bench and Dyk thought he saw the man's lips moving. They weren't looking at each other, but they could be trying to be discreet. Dyk walked up behind them but couldn't hear anything over the fountain. He sat down on another bench. The last place she went was a stall and Dyk was relieved that he wouldn't have to follow her into a building. But he wasn't expecting her to turn toward him and walk his way. He turned and hurried away, looking for someplace to go and wait for her to pass.

"Excuse me!" she called to him. "Fang! Could you help me?"

Dyk stopped and thought about bolting. She had definitely seen him. He'd been caught. His face burned when he thought of the lecture the Captain would give him. If he wasn't expelled completely.

"We keep running into each other." Maggie smiled. "I was wondering if you were going back to the castle."

"Uh… yes, I was."

"Could you help me carry my things? I wasn't thinking when I left. I could barely manage the walk into town, and after shopping, I don't think I could make it back on my own. Please?"

"Sure, I'd be glad to." Dyk smiled. His cover hadn't been blown. He wouldn't be expelled. And if he was careful, he could get some information while her guard was down. He took the bag from her and was surprised that it wasn't very heavy. The fabric was the heaviest and he could easily carry it back. She must still be weak from the stocks.

They headed back to the castle and again, every quarter mile, she stopped to rest. Each break seemed to last a little longer than the one before.

"It was a good day to be in town, wasn't it?" Maggie said while she sat.

"Yes, it was."

"I don't think cadets get many days off."

"I'm not a cadet. I graduated to Fang two months ago."

"Oh. You just seemed so young."

"I graduated a full year early."

"That's impressive."

Dyk wondered if she was teasing him. "Why didn't you want to be a Fang?" he asked her.

"I didn't need to. My dad trained me as well as he trained any of you. So I have all the skills, but none of the responsibilities. I know that look. I get it a lot. You want to know why I destroyed the factory and the oil pump."

"I heard your speeches. I know why you did it."

"You want to know how I could if I loved my kingdom."

"A bit. Do you believe King Wendell will do what he promised?"

"I hope so. I would hate to spend two more weeks in the stocks just because Wendell can't keep his promises." Dyk flinched at the familiar use of the king's name.

"So you'd do it again?"

"Even if he said today that he wasn't going to look into the pollution and tomorrow he magically built another factory, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I can't even carry my own shopping home."

"But you would if you could?"

"It's up to Wendell. I'm not against the factories themselves, I just wanted Wendell to look into the effects of the factories before he built them. If he does that and protects the land from the factories, then I have nothing to complain about."

"That sounds reasonable," Dyk said to reassure her. He had a lot of good stuff to put in his report. They chatted for the rest of the journey back to the castle. He left her at the inner door to her room and ran around outside to the courtyard to find Octavio.

"I don't have time to talk, but watch the inner door until the Captain takes her to dinner. Then come get me."

Octavio ran off and Dyk sat watching the outer door. His stomach growled and he wished he'd bought something to eat in town.

After the Captain and Maggie left, Octavio fetched Dyk. As soon as he saw Octavio, Dyk ran into the mess hall and loaded up a plate with food and sat down, stuffing his face.

"What happened? I came back from lunch and you were gone."

Dyk waited until his stomach stopped complaining and slowed down enough to talk between bites. "She left through the inner door to go into town."

Octavio slumped. "How did you know she left?"

"A Fang told me. A good thing, too, we just got back. She was gone for hours."

"So she went into town, what happened?"

Dyk told him a quick summary of what happened. "We need to be more careful. I wished so many times you were there so we could switch off following her into stores. And these two doors are going to be tricky. How are we supposed to watch the hallway? There's nowhere to hide."

"Someone did it last week."

"But they were so good, we don't even know who they were."

"Do you think we'll ever get that good? I mean, two Fangs were on a mission right in front of us and we didn't even know."

"That trip wiped me out. I mean, all I did was carry her bag, but I was high strung the whole time we were gone. And starving. We need to figure this out." Dyk yawned.

"How are we supposed to watch both doors at night?" Octavio asked.

"I have no idea. Can we assume the Captain will keep an eye on her at night?"

"I don't know. Is it possible she could sneak out while he's asleep?"

"I don't think she would. Except you, know, to go for a walk or something. I was seeing conspirators everywhere she went, but she was just shopping. We did blow it by letting her out of our sight, but we might be over thinking this."

"So first you say we're not taking this seriously enough and now you say we might be taking it too seriously?"

"I don't know. We need to sleep sometime."

"While she's exercising. One could watch her and one could sleep."

"I need to sleep now. You can wake me when they get back from dinner."

"I can't come get you without leaving my post. She could sneak out."

"I really think you're overthinking it. She's with the Captain. We don't need to worry about her sneaking anywhere until he's asleep. It'll take you two minutes to get me. She can't come back and leave in two minutes."


	15. Preparation

The next morning, Maggie went outside and looked around the courtyard. She spotted a sleepy Dyk sitting up in the tree in the courtyard. She hid a smile and began her morning jog around the courtyard, stopping to catch her breath each lap. She stretched, did some easy exercises, ate, and went back inside.

While Stefan was busy and out of the room, she took out the fabrics and, using one of his jackets as a guide, began cutting it for a new jacket. She burned the useless scraps and folded the rest and hid them while she worked. She tried to work quickly and was satisfied to have everything cut. Then she pulled out the leather and had to resharpen her shears several times while she cut out two pairs of gloves. She took one glove outside with an awl and sat in the shade of the wall to punch sewing holes. She wanted to give her watchers a chance to eat.

Glancing up between punches, she found the young wolf who'd ran out ahead of her last night. After fifteen minutes, sure enough, Dyk came and took his place so he could go into the mess hall. She felt a little disappointed in Stefan, to have allowed these pups to become Fangs and to have such atrocious skills. At least the first two had been subtle. It had taken her four days to narrow it down to a team of possibly four. But if these two were watching her now, then she decided the first team had only two as well. Very well done, she thought, silently applauding the first two watchers. She still didn't know which two of the four she suspected they were, but it didn't matter now.

These rookies meant that she was an easy task for pups to sink their milk teeth into. She finished the two glove halves and stood up. She shaded her eyes and waved at Dyk. He hesistantly waved back and she walked over to him.

"Hi, your name was Dyk, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Hey, you're kind of the only Fang here I know. Would you mind helping me work out?"

"Sure."

They walked over to the sparring yard and she hefted several wooden swords until she found a nice light one. They went through the sword forms a couple times and Maggie had to stop to let her arms rest after holding the sword every few minutes.

"I need a break," she said after completing the second set. She breathed hard and wiped sweat from her brow.

"What were you working on over there?" Dyk pointed at the wall where she'd been sitting.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure. I'm a Fang."

She looked at him critically and then said, "I'm making presents for my family. I'm going to make Stefan a new coat and a pair of gloves for my father. That's why I went shopping yesterday. But don't tell Stefan. It's going to be a surprise."

"No problem. I can keep a secret."

They sparred a little longer and she called it a day. She picked up her glove pieces and returned to her room. Now that her watchers knew she'd be sewing, she could spend more time inside. She picked up one of Stefan's swords, a little heavier than her own, and worked through the sword forms, adjusting them to the size of the room to keep from hitting anything. She was careful to replace it just as it had sat and went back to punching holes in the other glove pieces. That had worked up a true sweat. This was the week when she needed to make a lot of progress with her recovery while showing a small amount of improvement in the courtyard. She'd gone as far as small exercises in the room would allow, and now the weapons practice would have to begin.

While working on the fifth glove piece, she thought that she could fake an injury outside and give herself a better excuse to stay inside more. But then Stefan might check on her more often. Her plan needed a little more work. Day two of the rookie watch. She was running out of time. If Stefan was half as smart as she thought, he wouldn't assign another rookie team for the third week of her recovery. That's when she should be recovered enough to be a potential threat. She had five more days.

It would have to be a careful injury. One bad enough to justify bedrest, but not so bad that a physician look at it and see the act. Or she could sustain a real injury. Perhaps while sparring with Dyk. Pick a moment and miss a block. But that had risks. What if she were injured badly enough to miss her window of opportunity? She couldn't count on another rookie team just because she was injured.

She sat there, thinking and punching holes.

* * *

Stefan pointed at Dyk after Maggie went into her room and then pointed at the office. Dyk came running and Stefan slammed the door behind them.

"What do you think you're doing? Surveillance is about being invisible, not grocery shopping and sparring."

"It was an accident." Dyk decided to keep it vague until he submitted his report. He didn't want to get pulled from the assignment on his second day. "She caught me yesterday in town, but she thought I was a cadet and asked me to help her carry her shopping. So she saw me today and asked me to spar. We have to hide in the open in the Fang Quarters. If we try to disappear it'll look suspicious."

"She talked to you. What did she say?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me, boy!"

"It wasn't relevant…"

"Now!"

"She's making you a coat. And her father a pair of gloves. It's a surprise." Dyk felt awkward sharing that secret. "She went shopping yesterday for presents. She bought lace gloves, silk stockings, a silver brooch, and some perfume or something. And fabric for the coat and gloves. It was too much for her to carry so she asked me to help her."

"Thank you. You can return to your duty."

Stefan sank into his chair after Dyk left. He'd panicked. It had been a harmless conversation. He should have trusted Dyk. They were rookies, but they were fully trained. Their first mission. He should have expected problems like this. They were still learning. He shouldn't have risked this by giving it to rookies. But they seemed to be handling it, and he decided to relax a little. And now he knew about the coat.

When he finished working and returned to his room, he saw her hide something behind her. He guessed the gloves. That kind of secrecy triggered all sorts of alarms in his head, but he knew it was just a surprise and he fought down his instincts.

"Is that part of the surprise?" he asked.

She smiled coyly. "Turn around and I'll put it away."

He obeyed, but stood where the reflection off his water pitcher showed her putting things in the bottom of her wardrobe. He knew he was going to investigate tomorrow while she was exercising outside.

Her scent was stronger today than usual and he noticed one of his swords smelled of her too. He picked it up. "Were you touching this?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I just wanted to check its weight. In case I could use it to exercise."

"It's too heavy for you. You need to wait a couple more weeks."

"I know. That's why I put it back. You're so strong." She stroked his arms and hugged him. "My, what big arms you have."

"All the better to hold you, my dear." He set down the sword and pulled her close.

"My, what big lips you have."

"All the better to kiss you, my dear."

Her hand slid down his chest. "My, what a big-"

He chuckled and interrupted her with a kiss.

* * *

It was getting harder for her to hide her returning strength from Stefan at night. She would realize how hard she was pushing against him and suddenly stop, hoping he would think it was a brief surge and not a sign that she was pretending to be weaker than she was.

In the morning, Stefan was getting dressed and caught himself looking between her and the wardrobe. She was asleep, so he quietly opened it up and rummaged through the bottom. In her shopping bag were several cut pieces of fabric, a small paper package with lace gloves and silk stockings, a tiny box with a brooch, and a small container of powdered perfume. It was so concentrated that when he smelled it, he sneezed and felt lightheaded.

Maggie sat up and looked at him.

"What are you doing?" she calmly asked.

Stefan decided he wasn't going to apologize. "I'm doing my job." He closed the perfume tin and put it away. "Who buys powdered perfume?"

"People who don't want to waste money. All I need is some water and I can control the concentration. And your job includes going through my things?"

He closed the wardrobe and sat on the bed. He took her chin in his hand and looked her in the eye. "My job is to make sure you aren't a threat to the kingdom. As captain, that is my job for the king's sake. As your mate, that is my job for your sake." He kissed her and was disappointed when she didn't kiss back. "You're making me a coat?"

"I was." Maggie looked away.

"I have something for you." Stefan pulled out the ring box and handed it to her.

She opened it and the haiku ring said, "I am haiku ring, congratulations to you, you will marry us."

"What is this?" she asked.

Stefan's cheeks went red and he said, "I couldn't afford a singing ring. Your father had to help me to even get this."

"Thank the moon you didn't get a singing ring, but this isn't much better."

"That's not what a man wants to hear when he's proposing."

"I'm sorry, but these things are ridiculous."

"Your father told me you loved your mother's singing ring."

"When I was three and it would give her away when we played hide-and-seek! Then I thought it was great. Let me show you what life is like with a talking ring." She slid it on and kissed him, burying her left hand in his hair.

"Love is heartwarming, passion the foodstuff of love, my view not the best."

Stefan heard it loud and clear with her hand right behind his ear. She kept kissing him and started to untie his pants.

"I hope what I've heard about the hygiene of wolves was inaccurate."

She backed off and took off the ring. "This thing enters the marriage. It said "marry us". It meant you two. It has opinions and it speaks them. It won't shut up. It'll try to help raise our children. I'm not accepting this ring."

"Children?" Stefan tried to smile. "So you're just rejecting the ring. You aren't saying no to the proposal?"

"That's another thing. I thought we talked about that. I don't think we should marry. Take the ring back and we'll just go on like before."

"Your father helped me pay for it."

"So give him back his money. It's easy."

"He'll be disappointed-"

"Are you trying to marry me or him? I'll take it to him and tell him I don't like it, if that'll make things easier. He can give you back your share of the money. Then you can buy a simple band and we can pretend, if you're worried about what he'll think."

"Fine." Stefan retied his pants and continued to dress, keeping his back to Maggie.

"Stefan?" Maggie asked gently.

"What?" Stefan said, sharply.

"Do you want to marry me?"

"I asked you that and you said no."

"But were you asking because you wanted to, or because my father threatened you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It actually does." Maggie climbed out of bed and stood in front of him. He wouldn't look at her and she could tell he was upset. She held his face and he finally looked at her. "I told you why I don't think we should, but that doesn't mean I don't want to. If you ask me because you want to, I'll say yes. But if you're just trying to please my father…"

Stefan pressed his forehead to hers. "I want to marry you," he said, softly.

"Okay," she said. "No talking rings. Don't borrow from dad. Just…" she looked at him. "Get something you like. And I promise I'll love it."

When she was sure he was going into town, she spent several hours working with the weapons, building up her endurance again. She couldn't run outside without giving herself away, so she had to work her legs with squats and other exercises and hope that when the time came, it would be good enough. Then she would sew frantically, to make up the time. She had four more days to finish the presents and implement her plan.

* * *


	16. Full Moon Arrives

Everyone settled into a rhythm by the time the next full moon arrived. Maggie would perform light exercises with Dyk in the morning, work on the presents outside while eating lunch, and then go inside for her more strenuous exercises and continue working on the presents until Stefan returned and they would go to dinner.

The evenings were so peaceful she could almost forget her mission and pretend this was her domestic life with Stefan.

But the full moon arrived and everything was ready. The day before, Maggie couldn't concentrate on anything. She had missed the last moon and was slightly feral. Her biggest worry was that she wouldn't be able to restrain herself and reveal that her strength had returned and her progress was further along.

She broke a wooden staff on Dyk when they sparred but he was beginning to heat up too and the incident didn't get much attention. Maggie changed into loose clothes for the night and prowled the courtyard restlessly until nightfall. Let Stefan figure out how to keep her under surveillance.

It was late spring so the moon rose before the sun set and once it had fully risen over the horizon a horn was blown, as a signal to the wolves and warning to everyone else.

Stefan found her before the horn. He released the two junior Fangs from duty, not trusting them to stay focused. He was unlikely to let her out of his sight anyway.

She was the only female in the pack and once the horn blew and they ran to the small herd of sheep, she was almost constantly harrassed. They would call to her or grab her as they ran past, playing rough and saucy. It was half hopeful, but also to watch her get angry and Stefan get jealous.

Their extra aggression fed into the group and the herd was quickly destroyed. The harassment continued as they all entered the forest. She wanted to chase and bite each boy who touched her but there were too many. Stefan was going mad trying to chase them all off, and they provoked him until he nearly foamed.

Maggie finally remembered her objective for the night in a lucid moment and turned her energy away from chasing into running away.

Like hounds after a vixen, they followed and Stefan felt a wash of cold when he wondered if she was trying to escape for good. Panic fueled him and he outdistanced the others.

Maggie was focused and ran for more than play and it wasn't long before the others were following her by scent through brambles and fields of ferns. But Stefan hadn't tracked her a month earlier without learning her tricks and after the others had lost interest and found other games to play, he caught up to her.

In an open stretch, he gave a burst of speed and tackled her. She rolled out and sprang to her feet. But instead of running again like he feared, she turned and lunged for him.

Her strength suprised him and he fended her off, unsure if she was trying to kill him to finish her escape. He stopped worrying when she found an opening and instead of tearing him open she nipped his neck. He played back and the wrestling turned into rough lovemaking.

They frolicked naked through the night and fell asleep on a bed of ferns.

* * *

The morning sun gently woke them. Maggie flicked a fly off Stefan's bloody shoulder.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning," he smiled back. The morning was perfect, he decided. A fern tickled the hair on his leg and he sat up. "My trousers!"

"Don't tell me you're shy." Maggie stood and stretched. They were both covered in sheep's blood, sweat, and dirt. Stefan picked a leaf and a twig out of her hair.

"We should get cleaned up and find our clothes."

"Baby," she teased. "A real wolf could walk barefoot through the forest."

"You can go ahead and walk home naked, but I'm not going to help you when you're covered in cuts."

He tried to walk away, his pride hurt, but they'd run around too much the night before and he couldn't trace their pat back to his clothes. And he hoped the clothes were near each other and not strewn over a square mile. He tried to remember exactly what they did last night.

He was lost in thought and surprised when she slipped her hand into his. "I didn't mean it," she said. "I think we should go this way."

They found their clothes and Stefan squeezed the left pocket of his pants and felt the reassuring box. More lighthearted now, he led the way to a stream and they washed off.

He kept looking at her, not sure when the timing would be right. He slipped the ring out of the box and tried not to play with it in his nervous hands.

"What?" Maggie finally asked. "Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, I'll get it." He pretended to pull something out of her hair and held the ring in front of her face.

She smiled warmly into his uncertain face. "It doesn't sing?"

"Not a word."

She held out her left hand and he slid the silver ring onto it. She looked closely at it and saw it was shaped like a wolf swallowing her own tail.

"It's beautiful, Stefan." She pulled him into a kiss that grew deeper and deeper.

They were tired and slow but they made love like it would be the last time. She, because she wanted something to remember; he, to hold ontoher as long as he could.

He held her tight as they built to the climax.

"Marry me," he said.

"Yes."

"Say it."

"I'll marry you."

"Stay with me?"

"I'll stay with you forever."

"Do you love me?"

"I love you." She repeated the last through kisses until she cried out. As she held him tight while they caught their breath, she believed it. She would do anything to stay with this wolf forever and have his pups and be his wife. There was nothing else in the world but Stefan.

He leaned back to look into her eyes and he saw her complete devotion and the tight worry that he'd held in his chest since he began to fall in love with her released.

"I want to make love to you forever," he said.

"I don't think I have anymore in me. Ask me again in a week. You wore me out."

He gave her a smug, satisfied smile.

Maggie felt a familiar tingle behind her ears and she said in a clear voice, "We'd better get dressed and head back to the castle. I'm not sure how long it'll take to find our way back."

Stefan thought it was a little odd of her to say that, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong with the statement.

"Sure," he said.

It was an easy stroll back to the castle going around what Maggie had led them through the night before but it was late in the afternoon when they arrived. They gorged and went straight to bed.

Stefan forced himself up when his trained cuckoo clock chirped in the morning. Maggie grabbed his arm with a sleepy and sore hand.

"Stay."

"I can't." He climbed back in and held her for a moment. She touched his face and he grabbed her hand. "Where's the ring?"

Maggie was suddenly awake and rubbing the naked finger while she thought.

"It must have fallen off by the river."

Stefan groaned and pressed his hands to his face.

"Don't worry, I'll get it," she said.

"It's too far away. You're still healing. I have to work today."

"I'll take a horse. I can ask that rookie to go with me. You can let him off his duties for one morning."

"We were all over the place. You'll never find it. What if it fell into the river? What if a pixie found it?"

Maggie forced him to look at her. "I will find it. I can find that stream and follow it up with the horses until I find the spot where we bathed. It didn't fall into the river. It's going to be fine. I'll find it."

Stefan tried to be reassured. They both got up and got dressed, Maggie more stiffly and slowly.

"I'll get Dyk and two horses ready. They'll be waiting for you after breakfast." He kissed her. "Be safe."

"You too."

He left and once the door closed she let out a heavy, sad sigh.

* * *


	17. Escape from the 4th Kingdom

Everything was ready when she left for the stables. Dyk was tired but alert, holding the reins for two horses. They were sturdy, steady, average horses. And there was no way Maggie could ask for swift ones.

"Good morning, Dyk," she said, smiling.

"Good morning, Miss Margaret."

"Still sore?" She climbed up onto her horse and arranged the reins.

"A little." Maggie saw him grimace as he mounted his horse.

"I'll try to be quick. Hopefully we'll find the ring right away."

* * *

Stefan entered his room just after lunch to grab his favorite sword to be sharpened. On the bed Maggie had arranged her gifts.

"She finished them," he said as he touched them.

The lacy items for her mother and sister, a bottle of perfume for Christine, gloves for her father and brother, and the brooch for Gregory. And the coat. He put it on and tugged at it to get a good feel. Well fit, he decided. He felt something in the corner of the pocket when he put his hands in. "Oh, no." He pulled out the ring. "Oh, no."

She had lied. Yesterday, in his arms, her eyes had lied to him. Everyday since the beginning she had laughed behind his back as she planned her escape. He threw the ring and it ricocheted several times before falling into a cluttered corner.

Thoughtlessly, he stormed outside and ran to the stable. Ignoring stableboys and groomsmen, he saddled Fayweather, the fastest horse he could find and rode out.

The trail was easy. The only two horses going cross country into the forest from the stables.

The trail crossed a path that led to a main road. To go north would be away from the stream she was pretending to find. The horses had stopped, she had gotten down briefly, and they had moved north. The weight had remained the same on both horses so Dyk was still with her.

He moved to follow them, wondering how she'd convinced Dyk to turn away from the forest. A breeze rose and he sneezed. It had the faint hint of troll dust. Where could she have gotten troll dust? He wondered and he remembered how he sneezed when he checked the perfume. The powdered perfume must have hidden the scent of troll dust, probably in a packet beneath. The deception hardened his resolve to catch her and he trotted off, following the tracks.

They weren't going very fast and Stefan tried to calculate how long before he could catch up. And then he noticed something odd. Another horse's tracks had come onto the path and seemed to be following Maggie's trail. It did not move on its own but moved as hers did. As Stefan was, to keep her hoofprints in focus in case she left the path and entered the trees.

Stefan was worried again and sped up to close more ground. Where the path met the road he found Dyk lying in a ditch. Stefan read the trail before doing anything that might obscure the tracks.

Maggie had gotten off, and a second person of Maggie's weight helped her move Dyk off the horse. Then they walked the horses in circles to confuse the tracks and remounted. One went east and the other went west. Dyk's horse went east toward the 7th Kingdom. But she may have switched horses.

Then he saw the pursuer's tracks. They had hesitated, then went west at full gallop toward the 2nd Kingdom.

"Captain?"

Stefan jumped down and went to Dyk, who was sitting up and holding his head.

"What do you remember?"

"At the trail, she sprayed me with troll dust. But it didn't knock me out completely. She gave her cloak to the boy waiting here. They didn't say a word. And Miss Margaret went west."

"Good job."

"I'm sorry I let her go."

Stefan was in a hurry to leave. "Don't worry about it, I'll bring her back." He stood but Dyk grabbed his arm.

"Captain, Long Tooth is chasing her."

"Long Tooth is on leave."

"It was him, sir. On the King's own racehorse."

"Suck an elf."

"What does it mean, sir?"

"Get back to the castle and tell the King I am bringing her back!" Stefan jumped onto his horse and galloped west.

The King had given Long Tooth, and probably Red Paw and Colby, secret missions. He hadn't trusted Stefan. He may even think Stefan was aiding her. He had to catch her if only to clear his name.

Stefan dodged carts and travellers on the road, trying to catch up. He couldn't waste time picking out her tracks on the well travelled road, he had to assume she was making for the border, escaping Wendell's jurisdiction for the 2nd Kingdom. And then he hoped he would catch up to her and that Long Tooth's orders wouldn't be to harm her.

There was only one reason for her to leave the kingdom. There would be no mercy if she were caught. But if he did not bring her back, he would be held responsible for her escape. His throat clenched at the thought of her being led to the headsman's block but he reminded himself that she deserved her fate. For lying to him. For running away. He had done everything he could to keep her safe and she had chosen to die rather than marry him.

Late in the afternoon, he was leading his horse on a walking break as he passed a farm. A familiar horse was grazing, looking worn out and wearing a blanket. He climbed through the fence and gently approached it. It didn't run from him and lifting the blanket, he saw the Royal brand.

She had changed horses. She had a fresh horse and, for all he knew, a faster one. He would have traded his with this traitorous farmer, but the only other animals in the field were milk cows, and only the Royal stables had horses trained to let wolves ride them. All other horses tended to run. Which said a lot about this farmer.

He returned to his horse, frustrated, and searched for the prints of her new horse. When he was fairly sure he found them and could recognize them later if he needed to, he continued on.

At sunset, he could see the edge of the Wild Woods. He'd never track them in the night if she went off the road. He stopped and made camp on a small rise outside the woods. He hobbled the horse and trusted it to stay nearby during the night.

The Wild Woods were a thick black mass of ancient magic. The safest place in it was on the main road, but even there you had to be wary. No one except the fool hardy or the desperate allowed themselves to be on the road after dark.

Wolves found the forest a good place to hide and harass travelers. But even they had to stay on their guard.

The Fangs in the 4th Kingdom had a safe living, but those who refused to be domesticated or those branded as criminals found the Wild Woods to be the best haven in the 9 Kingdoms.

It was a natural place for Maggie to run. Dangerous, as she still needed to heal, but not even Queen Riding Hood could find and extradite Maggie to King Wendell if she wanted to.

And if Long Tooth didn't find her and if Stefan couldn't clear his name, it would be the best place for him to hide, too.

If he were exiled from the 4th Kingdom, there were no Kingdoms who tolerated wolves. Living and hiding as a fugitive would be his life. Again. It was that prejudice that brought him to the Fangs when he was a boy. He didn't want to be ashamed of himself or live off of stolen sheep. He had watched human children play in the open or swim without fear of their tails falling out. They weren't run into the trees by thrown rocks and hateful words.

And for nearly twenty years he had lived, if not a normal life, a respected one. And if he did not find that lying bitch, he would have to leave it.

* * *


	18. Into the Wild Woods

When the waning moon was high and the trees looked frosted, Stefan woke to a frightened, silver howl.

He was halfway down the hill in a full sprint when he realized what he was doing.

After all the deception and pain, when he thought she was in trouble, he came running. Futilely. He shook his head and climbed back up the hill. Long Tooth had caught her. He could meet them on the road in the morning.

But as he settled back down to sleep, a chorus of wild cries sailed through the trees. Goosebumps pricked his skin and he felt cold as he listened to bloodthirsty and violent voices. After a throaty scream, they gave a final triumphant howl and fell silent.

She was dead. His heart felt like a stone in his chest and he sat, elbows on his knees. In the lonely darkness he cried for her. If he'd kept a closer eye on her, he could have kept her at the castle. If she hadn't been so stubbornly suicidal there would have been no need. If he hadn't been so stupid to fall in love he wouldn't care. And if he'd never met his mate he would have worried about loving the wrong girl for the rest of his life.

He lay down and watched the moon glide into the west. She could always soothe troubled hearts. She also threw wolves into a manic frenzy, but she was always there. Quiet and steady.

He fell asleep and woke with the sun warming his face.

He would find proof of her death and return to Wendell. Hopefully that would be enough to at least clear his name and he could start to continue with his life.

But before he entered the Wild Woods, he would need to get rid of anything that would reveal he was a Fang. 4th Kingdom citizens feared Fangs for different reasons than the rest of the Kingdoms feared Fangs. To them, he was just a wolf dumb enough to advertise the fact. Luckily he had run out the door wearing Maggie's handmade coat.

His exercise shirt had Fang embroidery on the cuffs and collar so he took it off. His boots were in good, oiled condition and his trousers were new. He unhobbled the branded horse, loosened the saddle and slapped it home.

Stefan found a stream and scuffed his boots with rocks, tore his pants a little and wore at them with smoother rocks at the knees. Then he took a light mud bath, soiling his clothes and body. He mussed his hair and with a rough stone gave himself a few scrapes. He checked his reflection in a calm part of the brook. He was a rough loner trying to find some peace. Finally, he tucked his tail in his pants. It chafed. He wasn't used to hiding it.

He found the road and entered the Wild Woods. With each step, he let go of his captain's authority and military training. He slouched, he kicked at rocks, and openly checked the trees. This is what made him the best tracker. Not only could he follow his quarry across any terrain, he could get close to his target without suspicion.

He assumed the two sets of galloping horses belonged to Maggie and Long Tooth. No, to Green-Tail and Long Tooth.

Around noon, others were on the road, passing him from each direction and tearing up the tracks. He passed a foodcart and bought some lunch with some change left in his pockets.

He thought he smelled a few places she might have abandoned her horse and gone into the trees, but he also thought he could still make out their hoofprints under the traffic. He decided to go on until the trail went completely cold and backtrack if he had to.

There was a crowd standing to the north of the road with 2nd Kingdom guards in their red uniforms. Stefan smelled spilt blood and pushed into the crowd.

"Poor fool."

"He should have known better."

"Is that a tail?"

"Why would they kill one of their own?"

"Who understands those fairying wolves, anyway?"

Stefan saw Long Tooth's body torn apart. No Fang ever was that violent to even a sheep. His chest was completely empty and several vital organs were missing. His head was almost severed from his body, only his spinal cord loosely kept it attached.

Stefan stumbled back. He needed air but all he could smell was Long Tooth's blood in the moist dirt. He ran upwind and far enough he couldn't hear the gawkers anymore and sat down.

Long Tooth was good. Some said he was better than himself. He had heard Long Tooth scream last night, not Maggie. But he had heard Maggie howl. But they didn't kill her. He tried not to think of what a pack of violent wolves would do to a weakened she-wolf.

He had to rescue her. He could do it. He knew what he was facing and he had time to observe and plan, while Long Tooth had been focused on catching Maggie and had been ambushed in the dark.

It would be dangerous, but he had met danger before and he was still alive. He just had to be careful.

A cart had arrived and the guards were shoveling Long Tooth's body into it while trying to keep traffic moving along. Stefan stood up to start searching for trail signs when he heard stifled giggling from the woods behind him. He snuck around and found two adolescent wolves spying on the scene.

"Look, it fell off again!"

"We should have come back sooner if we wanted to get a piece."

"No one would have believed Fierce let us go last night, even if we had a piece. We can go get a doe's liver and say it's his."

"Meadowlark had his liver. And Thistlefur says that a wolf worth his fangs knows human meat from animal meat."

"Thistlefur's full of dwarfmoss. Let's head back."

"Hold on. Smell that?"

The wind had shifted and put them downwind of Stefan. He had no choice but to step out and play his new persona.

"That's some kill huh?" he said.

"Who're you?" the taller, pimply boy said.

"Greypaw. I just came from the 7th Kingdom, and I see a dead wolf out there. What happened?"

"He was a Fang. After one of us."

"One of you? You pups took care of him?"

"Not us, us. One of our pack. The others took care of him," the shorter boy said.

"A pack? I haven't been part of a pack in years. The Wild Woods are a dangerous place, though. Do you think you could take me to meet your pack? See if maybe I could join?"

"Hold on. Don't you know how to meet strange wolves these days? I can't just let you meet the pack without smelling you." The younger boy gave him a quick confused look before nodding and backing him up.

"Alright."

The boys came up and inspected Stefan, smelling his coat especially. After a quick smirk, the taller one said, "I'm Red Fang and this is Chomper. Follow us."

They led him through the dense forest and to a trail that had Long Tooth's blood and horse tracks on it. And then he saw a few strands of Maggie's hair caught on a branch. He hoped she would play along with his cover until he could rescue her.

The trail came to a cave and the boys went straight in. The tunnel wound deep inside and Stefan found himself in an abandoned dwarven mine. The boys never wavered in their direction as they walked the maze. They passed other wolves, who stopped what they were doing to join them on their way to the main cavern.

They arrived and Stefan couldn't help but feel nervous, looking at the collection of nearly fifty wolves milling around.

"Hey, Fierce!" Red Fang called out. "Look who we found!"

A red haired giant stood head and shoulders over the crowd and made his way to the three of them. From the look of him, he was closer to a full wolf than a half wolf. Stefan couldn't help but notice that Fierce went barefoot. He stepped close and took a deep sniff of Stefan.

Before Stefan could introduce himself or give his spiel, Fierce crossed his arms, sizing him up and said, "So you're Stefan."


	19. The Wolf Pack

Stefan was dumbstruck. "My name isn't-"

"Just like that isn't Green-Tail's scent all over your coat?"

The boys chortled and shoved each other. Stefan realized that everyone was watching him and Fierce. 

"Alright. You got me. Where's Green-Tail?"

Fierce stared him down for a few more moments before walking off. The boys were audibly disappointed and Stefan thought he heard one say "I was hoping he'd kill him."

"What was that about?" Stefan asked Fierce as they made their way across the main cavern.

Fierce didn’t answer, just pulled aside a curtain that led to a small side cavern. Stefan was struck with the strong odor of Fierce’s den, mixed with Green-Tail and recent sex. Fierce smirked down at him and led the way inside. The room was dim, lit by two candles. There was worn out and broken furniture along the walls and in the center a large fur covered bed lay low on the ground. Fierce nudged one of the lumps with his foot and it moved. 

“Get up.”

Green-Tail sat up, naked as far as Stefan could tell, with a gasp. “What time is it?” she asked. Then she saw Stefan and her mouth dropped open. She shook her head in disbelief and pinched herself, while staring at the mate she’d abandoned. “Stefan? What are you doing here?”

“What-?” Stefan thought it was obvious. “I’m here to rescue you. You lied about the ring, drugged your bodyguard… I needed to find you before you condemned us both. And then I thought you were in danger… Last night I thought these monsters had torn you apart! Now I’m here to help you escape from these ferals and try to prove to Wendell that I had nothing to do with your escape. I can only hope he’ll have mercy if you’re only gone a day. Get dressed.” Stefan shifted into a defensive stance, certain he’d have to fight Fierce, and hoped they could sneak out of the cavern somehow. 

Fierce just gave him a bemused smile and sat down on chair that creaked and sank a couple inches under his weight. 

Green-Tail dug in a pile for her clothes and started to dress. “Stefan, we both know Wendell won’t have mercy, no matter how quickly you found me. Our only hope was that you didn’t find out what happened until it was clear you weren’t involved. But you’re too clever for that, aren’t you? I worked so hard to make sure it even looked like you had no idea and here you are, on my trail far too early. You ruined everything!”

“I ruined everything?” Stefan started to shout and Fierce got ready to intervene if needed. “Two days ago you looked me in the eyes and said you loved me. That you’d stay with me and marry me. I believed you! I believed you could be faithful, but it was all a lie. The whole time - the WHOLE time - we were together you were plotting your escape to come back to him.” He pointed at Fierce but couldn’t look at him. Stefan’s voice started to crack. “Last night I thought you were dead and it killed me.”

Green-Tail got up, not quite dressed and hugged him. He didn’t hold her back and fought to keep from crying. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. “I meant it. Everything I said by the river, I meant it.” She kissed him and was a little hurt he didn’t kiss her back. “But stopping Wendell is more important than us. I can’t stop until-”

Stefan broke her hold and stepped back. “You’re obsessed. And I think you might be crazy. What could possibly be worth all this? You’ve instigated war with the Trolls, you’ve destroyed the Swamp, you’ve almost died a dozen times, ruined my life and career, and for what? Tell me, what is worth all this damage you leave behind?”

She looked at him, more hurt than ever. “If you still don’t know, you haven’t heard a word I’ve said this past month. Fierce.” She stepped back and faster than Stefan would have thought a man his size could move, Fierce was on his feet and slamming a fist into Stefan’s face, knocking him out.

 

Stefan woke in the main cavern, next to a small fire and on some light bedding. Fierce was sitting nearby, morosely poking at the wood with a stick. Stefan worked his jaw and touched his cheek gingerly. 

“You knock out her ex boyfriends so often you two don’t even need a code word?”

“She wanted me to tie you up or something. Hitting you was my idea.”

“Where is she?”

“Off to talk to Queen Riding Hood.”

Stefan sat up, alarmed. “She is crazy! That’s suicide! The Red Queen hates wolf-kind!”

“That’s what I said. Green-Tail thinks the Queen will spare her for her parent’s sake long enough to talk to her. I have scouts posted on the road in case they decide to send her back to Wendell. We’ll get her back.”

“And if they don’t? If they execute her for being a wolf?”

“Then I guess you can go home.”

“I don’t understand you. I thought you loved her. She spent a month convincing me that we were mates and she runs back to you and you two sleep together-” Stefan swallowed, “less than two days after she seduces me into dropping my guard.”

“I do love her. I love her enough to let her go. She always comes back.”

“Until the day she doesn’t. She’s crazy, okay? And she’s dangerous. You haven’t seen the bodies she left at the factory or all the creatures that died in the Swamp Fire. She’s passionate, sure, but she’s wrong and for everyone’s sake she needs to be watched. How long ago did she leave for the castle? We might be able to catch her.”

“She should have arrived by now. You’re too late.”

“I don’t understand how you can just let her go like that.”

“Because love is about trust, not control. I’m not in the mood to talk.” Fierce stood and dropped the stick into the fire. “She made me promise to keep you safe. So you’re welcome to stay. Or you can leave. I hope you have enough loyalty to your own kind to keep this place a secret. This is the newcomer’s corner. You’re welcome to keep the bedding.” He pointed at the other corners. “Families are over there, couples over there, the center is the common area. Stay away from the pups until we decide you’re trustworthy. If you want to help out, we can always use more hunters. Got a lot of mouths to feed.”

Red Fang and Chomper came over after Fierce left. “Clocked you good, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“I still thought he’d kill you.”

“Why? Because I’m a stranger?”

“Naw. Because last night when they were screwing, Green-Tail screamed your name. We all heard it.”

“She said ‘Stefan’?”

They nodded. “I’d kill the wolf who stole my girl. I would.”

This made Stefan doubt that Green-Tail had been playing him from the beginning.

“How long have you guys been here?” He asked.

“Four years,” Red Fang said.

“Six,” said Chomper.

“How is it?”

“Better than out there. All those fairying farmers and soldiers. They killed my mom and baby brother.”

“Both my parents.”

“Yeah, I remember what that’s like.”

“We know you’re a Fang. You’re a fairying milk-drinker.”

“I wasn’t born in Wendell’s castle. They killed my parents too. And then I heard about the Fangs and how Wendell pardoned the wolves and I decided I was tired of running and hiding and stealing. Drinking milk’s better than starving.”

“Says you.”

“Why didn’t you join a pack?” Chomper asked.

“I didn’t know of any. And I was too young to come to the 2nd Kingdom alone. I thought there were feral wolves out here.”

“There are, but we stay out of their territory and they leave us alone.”

“What was your name?”

“My name’s Stefan.”

“That’s your human name. What was your wolf name before you became a Fang?”

“Redpaw.”

“Did you name yourself?” Chomper teased, nudging Red Fang, who frowned.

“I used to like to eat berries. My mom named me for the berry juice she’d find on my…” he almost said ‘hands’. He didn’t want to think about his mother and decided to change the subject. “How well do you know Green-Tail?”

Red Fang shrugged. “She’s been gone a lot. But I heard she and Fierce started this pack. That she knew how to avoid King Wendell’s mirrors and that’s why we’re in an abandoned dwarf mine. The quicksilver messes with the magic and he can’t spy on us in here. What’s it like in the castle?”

“All the Fangs have beds. With mattresses and blankets. And extra blankets in the winter.” Stefan had long ago taken these luxuries for granted, but he remembered how special they’d seemed when he arrived fifteen years ago. “And pillows. Every morning we exercise together and then eat breakfast. Sausages and toast and fresh milk. Then the cadets have their training and they learn to read and write and track and fight and use their ears and eyes. The graduated Fangs are given missions from the King and we keep the Kingdom safe. And on our free time, we go into town in broad daylight with our tails hanging out and we buy food or new clothes or whatever we want with our wages. And no one yells at us or throws rocks.” That was mostly true for the towns closest to the castle, the ones that had gotten used to the Fangs’ presence. 

“Do the cadets get money?”

“They get an allowance. They can earn more if they take extra duties like working in the kitchen or the laundry or run messages to the castle.” He was pretty sure he had two little converts until Red Fang said,

“I wouldn’t ever want to be someone’s errand boy. And I definitely wouldn’t ever drink milk!”

“It’s pretty good.”

“Says you. Green-Tail says Fangs forgot how to be wolves and they’re just trying to fit in a human’s world.”

“Every full moon King Wendell let’s us romp. We haven’t forgotten what it means to be a wolf.”

“So you’re wolves one day a month? We’re wolves all the time.”

Stefan didn’t think he’d get anywhere arguing with the boys. “So how do we get food?”

“Everyone has to contribute.” Red Fang seemed to recite and Chomper nodded in agreement. “But since it’s your first day, I think they’ll let it slide. We can take you hunting later.”

They led him to the center of the cavern, where the old and the young processed the day’s kills for meat and skins. The older wolves looked at him suspiciously, especially in the company of the two young wolves, and the younger wolves looked at him curiously.

There were no plates, no forks or spoons or napkins, no vegetables or bread. Just meat. The boys dug into their portions raw, but Stefan had been domesticated too long. He spitted his portion and started to cook it over the fire. The boys teased him, and when the juices were dripping down and sizzling on the logs, Stefan’s hunger got the better of him and he pulled it out to eat. It was just warm, far rarer than he’d eaten since living in the castle, and delicious. He burned his fingers on the crackling outside and lapped up the juice that dripped down his hand. His face was a greasy mess when he finished and he reluctantly wiped his face on his sleeves and his hands on his pants, for want of a napkin. 

The boys took him out hunting with nothing more than a knife. They built traps and chased deer and they showed him the beginning of the feral territory. When they came back, carrying two rabbits and a squirrel Chomper had clocked with a lucky throw with a rock, they took some more meat for dinner and parted. Stefan went wandering through the tunnels and noticed that a path was marked in Fierce’s urine. A little grossed out, he followed it out of curiosity. It led to a back exit, and he found Fierce sitting just inside the tunnel opening. 

“Why’d you mark the tunnels?” 

“It’s the easiest way to escape if we need to. Creatures get lost when they panic, there’s not always enough light for signs, and any humans chasing wouldn’t be able to follow. I freshen it every few days and cuff any pups who mark other passages.”

“It’s a nice pack you’ve created.”

“Does that mean you’re going to stay?”

“If you answer some questions.”

“That’s not as enticing as you think.”

Stefan sat down next to Fierce. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“I promised Green-Tail I wouldn’t.”

“What did she tell you about me?”

Fierce sighed. “That she’d found her mate and he was a Fang. But it doesn’t matter,” he said, looking at Stefan for the first time. “I love her and she loves me and I don’t care if you two are mates or not.”

“And that’s enough for you to let me live here with you?”

“You aren’t a threat to me, milk-drinker. She’s just been away too long. When she gets back, she’ll make the right choice.”

Stefan was tempted to point out that she’d called his name and not Fierce’s that morning, but wasn’t sure how long a fuse the giant had. 

“You can have her. I’m done with her lies and unfaithfulness.” Stefan continued, unable to stop himself. “She was barely gone a day and she slept with you.”

“And that proves you don’t love her. She was with you for over a month and I still took her back. I will always take her back. Even with that pup of yours.”

“What pup?” Stefan thought Fierce was talking about Red Fang or Chomper.

“The pup she’s carrying. I figure it’s yours. Could barely smell it.”

Stefan was blown back by the news. He stood back up, agitated. “And you let her walk into a dungeon? You’re both crazy! We need to rescue her.”

“Just wait. Give it a couple days and we’ll find out what happened when she met with the Queen. If she’s in the dungeon, we’ll put together a suicide mission to rescue her. If she’s in the guest suite drinking milk, we’ll wait a little longer.”

“How can you just sit there and wait? Anything could be happening to her!”

“I’ve had six weeks of practice.”


End file.
